Two Red Deer residents wanted on warrants are facing 37 new charges for the theft of multiple vehicles throughout parts of central Alberta.

The arrests were eventually made near Westlock, but Cpl. Laurel Scott says the RCMP’s investigation of the Red Deer pair began long before then.

Leduc RCMP initially deployed the central district’s Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) to arrest two individuals wanted by police. The suspects, Annette Brown, 21, and Eric Michael Unger, 28, were wanted on a combined total of six warrants from Leduc, Red Deer and Blackfalds.

The CRU was lead to Hinton, where police allege Brown and Unger had been using a stolen recreational vehicle. The pair fled to Westlock in a pair of Camaros they allegedly stole from a local residence.

On August 31, Westlock RCMP received a complaint of a stolen Dodge pickup from a Ford dealership. RCMP tied Unger to the theft, and alleged he had been dropped off by Brown in a yellow Camaro.

RCMP got a tip on the pair’s location September 1.

“We were advised by somebody who saw the stolen Dodge Ram truck in the parking lot at the gas station, along with the yellow Camaro, called the Westlock RCMP, who responded there,” said Cpl. Scott.

The drivers rammed the two responding police vehicles while fleeing the gas station. The RCMP did not pursue them.

Police set up a spike strip, and the Camaro lost control into the ditch. Brown was arrested and transported to the hospital with minor injuries.

Cpl. Scott said the second suspect continued to flee, but was later located by the CRU and arrested at 7:30 p.m. near a stolen Ford F350.

In total, police recovered the Ford F350, the Dodge pickup from the Hinton dealership, two Camaros (the second of which was located on September 2 in Wabamun, 67 kilometers west of Edmonton), and the recreational vehicle.

Unger and Brown received 20 and 17 charges, respectively, related to breaking and entering, possession of property criminally obtained, and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

They appeared in court September 4.

The CRU is a mobile team that is able to tap into the resources of various departments.

“What it means to us is that the criminals who think they can avoid us by travelling to other jurisdictions won’t be able to,” Scott said.

With files from David Ewasuk