Some stolen dresses recovered, suspects caught
Police say some of the Indigenous regalia taken in the smash-and-grab was pawned
Police have made three arrests in connection with the theft of seven handmade, one-of-a-kind jingle dresses and other traditional Indigenous regalia from a vehicle in a Saskatoon parking lot.
Tanya Eagle Speaker, who was bringing her daughter’s regalia home to Alberta after the FSIN Spirit of Our Nations Powwow, said she was overjoyed when she got a call from police informing her of the arrests and that some of the regalia will be returned to her daughter.
“The constable called me yesterday (Wednesday) but he said ‘I’m in the middle of booking them right now’ and didn’t have time to talk,” she said.
“But my daughter’s spirits have been lifted — she’s been absolutely crushed, she was grieving for her items.”
So far, police have arrested three people believed to be involved in the Oct. 30 theft that left Eagle Speaker with a smashed truck window and two suitcases stolen after she stopped at the Mcdonald’s location on 22nd Street West for a bite to eat before leaving the city.
A fourth suspect, who was allegedly involved in trying to pawn two dresses the day after the theft, has been identified but has not yet been arrested, according to the Saskatoon Crime Stoppers Facebook page.
Tracey Dylan Ronald Blackbird and Sheldon Arthur Tarry were among the three suspects arrested; their identities have been confirmed via court records. The identity of the third suspect was not available at press time.
The first two arrests occurred after a man and a woman were able to pawn two of the dresses only a few hours after the theft.
Police were able to identify the man from the pawnshop’s surveillance footage, while the remaining three suspects were identified with help from the Saskatoon Crime Stoppers Facebook page.
“Once it was posted on Crime Stoppers, it kind of went from there — it really helped,” Eagle Speaker said. “I just want to thank everyone for getting the information out.”
She added that, along with the two dresses recovered from the pawnshop, the constable told her police had also recovered what they believed to be part of the beadwork that was stolen alongside the dresses — although she is waiting on photos to confirm they are her daughter’s.
Police spokeswoman Kelsie Fraser said, when it comes to stolen items purchased by pawn shops, police are notified after the sale, and once the item is recovered, the pawnshop is not reimbursed for the price it paid for the stolen goods. Fraser said police do not want pawnshop staff to attempt to detain anyone who may be selling stolen goods, as it may put their own safety at risk.