By Glenn Hicks

Woman considers arming herself after Debden break and enter

May 25, 2018 | 3:09 PM

A Debden woman whose husband chased after suspects and was then shot at in the early hours of Friday morning says she’s scared and is considering getting a gun.

The woman, who paNOW has identified but who did not want her name to be used, had gone to bed earlier Thursday night and was asleep after long hours working on their farm located south of the Debden. She said her husband then returned from the fields just after midnight to find the culprits in the act of robbing their home.

“I’m scared ***tless,” she told paNOW. “Do I want to stay here by myself in my home? No I don’t. I’m thinking I need to get a gun permit and learn to use a gun to protect myself in my home,” she said.

She said the first she heard about the incident was when her neighbours, who are all connected on a community mobile phone app, started showing up at her home in what was a confusing and terrifying few minutes.

She said her brother-in-law went in the garage and started shouting her name in the basement but she was upstairs in the bedroom and as she awoke thought she heard intruders. She started shouting to her sister-in-law outside that someone was inside her home and her relative was then telling that to police on her phone.

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“It was horrible. I felt like I was having a heart attack, “she said.

She said their shed and garage had been broken into and the culprits stole two guns from inside their home while she slept.

Later, her husband returned after the high speed pursuit in which he’d been shot at and told her the tale. She said he realizes he shouldn’t have been so hasty to chase the suspects after they fled the scene in a black Dodge four-door pick-up truck.

“He’s second guessing himself right now,” she said. “If he’d waited just 20 seconds longer two other neighbours showed up and they could have all gone together, stayed a safe distance, kept in contact with police and not chase at 150 kilometres an hour.”

She said her husband was in shock but was not physically injured nor was his car hit by the gun fire.

Big River RCMP responded quickly to the incident and were able to pursue the suspects but couldn’t stop them and they got away.

They confirm two long-barreled rifles were stolen from the property.

Meanwhile they’re calling on the public not to get involved in confrontations.

“Attempting to confront or pursue suspects can be very dangerous,” spokesman Rob King told paNOW. “We recommend you secure yourself and your family, observe as much as you can and call police. We’re trained to deal with these sorts of things and that’s what we’re there for.”

The woman who told paNOW her experience said the RCMP response was excellent and the neighbours do a good job in keeping in touch with each other but the frustrating thing is the regularity with which these crimes are taking place.

paNOW has also been contacted by other property owners who’ve voiced their ongoing frustration and fear at the rash of crimes in recent weeks.

This week two teenagers were arrested in Big River First Nation after a drone and dog unit were used to track them down. They’re charged in connection with various incidents of stolen property. Also, a school bus was stolen from the Ahtahkakoop First Nation.

glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow