Mounties arrest man following armed robbery with a firearm

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on February 18, 2026.

Brooks RCMP have arrested and charged Leonardo Garcia, 50, following an armed robbery that occurred at Walmart in that city.

Mounties say they received a report on Feb. 11 from an employee that was assisting Garcia activate a new cellphone a few days prior.

According to the report, Garcia displayed a weapon from inside his backpack and threatened to shoot the employee if the phone was not activated.

Further investigation revealed a similar incident involving Garcia had occurred a few days earlier but was not reported to RCMP.

Police issued a “Be on the Lookout” high-priority alert to all local officers and partnering agencies in an attempt to locate Garica, who was found shortly after by a City of Brooks peace officer.

Garica was charged with robbery with a firearm, uttering threats, carrying concealed weapon, possession of weapon for dangerous purposes and failure to comply, and was before the courts Tuesday.

Drunk driver attempts to flee collision scene

A male driver, whose name has not been released by police, is facing several charges following a single-vehicle rollover in Duchess last week.

RCMP were called to a residential area in Duchess on Feb. 10 at approximately 11:30 p.m. after a GMC Acadia rolled over and caused significant damage to three parked vehicles.

Neighbours told police they heard a long banging noise and saw the driver climbing out of the rolled-over vehicle and attempting to leave the scene.

However, the driver was arrested and failed roadside testing, leading to several charges including operation of a vehicle while impaired, failure to remain at the scene of an accident, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and failure to comply with a demand for blood sample.

The driver was released on an appearance notice and transported for medical attention for injuries sustained in the collision.