A local resident suffered injuries to his hands and head and had his cell phone, wallet and personal effects stolen after a man got into his truck at an intersection in Airdrie and forced him to drive for four to five hours on Jan. 7.
“While the suspect was inside the car, he struck the complainant with the handgun on the head and hands,” said Cst. Rob Frizzell.
“He received minor injuries and did not seek medical attention that we are aware of.”
The victim reported that at about 5 p.m., an unknown man approached his vehicle while he was stopped at a red light at the intersection of 8th Street and Highway 567 near the Kimmer’s Gas bar.
The suspect entered his white Ford F250 through the passenger side door, pointed a firearm at him and demanded him to drive.
The suspect directed the man to drive around the surrounding rural areas to the west and east of Airdrie, Crossfield, and to the northeast areas of Calgary.
“The motives of the suspect are still unknown,” said Frizzell.
“We are attempting to get a better understanding of what transpired. It seems rather random and odd.”
The suspect eventually directed the complainant to return to Airdrie where, at the intersection of Yankee Valley Boulevard and East Lake Boulevard, the suspect fled on foot southbound toward Kingsview Boulevard.
Frizzell cautions residents to lock the doors of their vehicles while driving.
“Most new cars engage locks after a car reaches a certain speed,” he said.
“If your car doesn’t have the feature, be sure to lock all of your doors.”
The suspect is described as a 30-40-year-old Native man, with dark skin, about 6’3” tall, with a heavy build, medium length black hair, a black moustache and missing teeth.
He was wearing a black leather jacket and red jogging pants.
The suspect had “RA” tattooed in red ink above his left thumb and a teardrop tattooed in black ink above his right thumb.
“The suspect was unknown to the victim, he had never seen him before,” said Frizzell.
At this time, the Airdrie RCMP is conducting an ongoing investigation.
“It is definitely one of those different crimes,” said Frizzell.
“It will take a while to put together exactly what happened.”
If you have any information on the incident, contact the Airdrie RCMP at 403-945-7200 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.crimestoppers.ab.ca
