Trespassing case stirs up fears over rural crime
Ranchers in the foothills are standing behind an Alberta man charged after shots were fired when two intruders came onto his property over the weekend.
Police said Edouard Maurice, who faces charges of aggravated assault, pointing a firearm and careless use of a firearm, had a confrontation early Saturday morning with two alleged trespassers at his property in Okotoks, 18 kilometres south of Calgary.
Shots were fired and Ryan Watson, now facing trespassing and possession charges, was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound to his arm.
The incident has some locals fired up, saying rural break- ins are becoming far more common.
“Five years ago even, this wouldn’t have been a problem,” said Marry Reimers, who lives outside of Okotoks.
“It’s shocking,” she said, adding that criminals are becoming more brazen, stealing vehicles and breaking into buildings in broad daylight.
Jamea Minue agreed with Reimers, saying there have been two recent break- ins near her property. She said her family has stepped up security by installing surveillance equipment, flood lights and reinforced doors. They’ve even bought a guard dog.
“In the old days, you’d just get in your car or horse trailer or whatever, you’d just drive off and leave everything open and go do your thing,” Minue said. “Now … everything needs to be locked.”
Mi nu es aid property owners outside of town are an easy target for criminals, and landowners have few options when faced with an intruder.
“What, are we supposed to sit back and let these thieves come in?” she said. “I mean, I don’t blame the RCMP, they can only go so fast and do what they can do. But you’re supposed to sit there, watch them come in and threaten your family, take your stuff and just say, ‘can you come help me?’”
She said she feels Maurice should never have been charged, and punishing the homeowner only lets thieves know that victims have no way to protect themselves.
Kevin Avram, a director with the Grassroots Alberta Landowners Association, said the charges against Maurice only embolden criminals. “It’s a message to criminals that they have carte blanche,” Avram said. “The RCMP and the system is sending signals to all these criminals that they can come on our property.”
Watson is charged with trespassing by night, mischief to property and theft under $5,000 from a motor vehicle, possession of methamphetamine and failure to comply with probation.