Lethbridge man facing multiple charges back in court April 7
By Delon Shurtz on March 18, 2021.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com
A 20-year-old Lethbridge man charged with nearly two dozen criminal offences following a pair of armed home break-ins earlier this year, may have derailed his chances of resolving older, unrelated charges.
Alexander Roxby Styra is facing charges of motor vehicle theft, mischief causing damage and theft under $5,000, stemming from incidents in 2019. During a hearing Wednesday in Lethbridge provincial court, Calgary lawyer Shaun Leochko said he and the Crown had been discussing resolving the charges without having a trial, but he believes those discussions may have been derailed after his client, who had been free on bail, was charged with new offences in January.
Police reported a break-in with a firearm at a home in the 1000 block of 18 Street south around 1 p.m. Jan. 31. The homeowner heard a window break and came face-to-face with the intruder, who was brandishing a firearm but fled. He stole a bicycle from the yard and went to another home a block away where he broke through the backdoor. A woman and two children were inside the second home.
Police said there was a confrontation, but the suspect fled after threatening the woman’s dog with a handgun.
Officers found and arrested the man at gunpoint shortly afterward in the middle of 17 Street and 10 Avenue South. The suspect reportedly had a handgun visible in his waistband,Â
Earlier reports indicated the suspect had also threatened to kill dogs that were barking at him as he walked down an alley.
Styra is charged with two counts each of housebreaking and commit assault with a weapon, using an imitation firearm during an indictable offence, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public, uttering threats to kill animals, and drug possession. He also faces one count each of assault with a weapon and theft under $5,000, and eight counts of breaching probation.
Styra, who remains in custody at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre, returns to court April 7.
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