An Okotoks man who allegedly set fires in the middle of the road northwest of Bowden earlier this month after stealing guns and a vehicle, was arrested this week and faces a total of 15 charges in connection with that incident as well as a house fire in Vulcan County.
On the morning of Aug. 1, Red Deer County residents in the area between Highway 587 and Township Road 350 from Range Road 12 and Range Road 14 were urged to secure their home, not pick up any pedestrians, and call 911 if they saw anything suspicious as RCMP searched the area for a suspect seen attempting to light a fire on a rural road.
The male was then reported to have abandoned a vehicle and departed on foot through a field.
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With the help of a police dog, helicopter, and drone resources, Olds RCMP were unable to locate the suspect but did recover the abandoned vehicle, along with guns which had all been reported stolen the day before in Vulcan County.
In an update issued Friday, police said on July 31 Vulcan RCMP responded to house fire in Vulcan County.
Once the residents were confirmed safe, police said an investigation into the “suspicious nature of the fire” was undertaken.
“It was also discovered that a vehicle and several guns had been stolen from the property of the house fire,” police said.
On Aug. 13, Luke Peterson of Okotoks was arrested in Vulcan and was charged by Vulcan RCMP with the following:
• arson;
• theft of a motor vehicle;
• two counts of break, enter and theft; and
• theft over $5,000.
Olds RCMP has charged Peterson with:
• two counts of possession of a firearm knowing possession is unauthorized;
• two counts of possession of a firearm obtained by an offence;
• two counts of possessing a weapon dangerous to the public;
• two counts of careless storage of a firearm; and
• two counts of possession of property obtained by crime.
After a judicial interim release hearing, Peterson was remanded into custody. His next court appearance is Aug. 21 in the Alberta Court of Justice in Lethbridge.
A second person was also arrested for arson and theft. She was released to appear in the Alberta Court of Justice in Lethbridge on Oct. 8.
She cannot be named as the charges had not been sworn before the courts as of the time RCMP issued the update.
