**** RCMP Media Release
Lunenburg District RCMP charge man and arrest another after Sea Doo thefts
Lunenburg District RCMP has charged a man and arrested another, after a theft of multiple Sea Doos on Hwy. 325 in Oakhill.
On September 10, 2022, at approximately 11:50 a.m., Lunenburg District RCMP responded to a report of recreational vehicle thefts on Hwy. 325 in Oakhill. RCMP officers learned that, in the early morning hours, two men were seen leaving a repair shop while towing three Sea Doos, on trailers, with a single ATV.
At approximately 4:15 p.m., the owner of one of the stolen Sea Doos observed an ATV towing a Sea Doo near Hwy. 332 in Bayport.
RCMP officers attended a nearby home where they located two men and a Sea Doo on a trailer. A 35-year-old Bayport man was arrested safely while the second man fled the scene on foot.
Assisted by an RCMP police dog, RCMP officers chased after the suspect on foot. A short time later, officers located the second man hiding in thick brush. When the man did not respond to officers’ commands the police dog was deployed. The 41-year-old Blockhouse man, who assaulted the police dog during his arrest, suffered minor injuries. He was transported to the Bridgewater RCMP Detachment and was treated by EHS in cells.
A small quantity of cocaine and a Sea Doo key fob were seized by officers during the arrests. Officers confirmed that the Sea Doo recovered was one of the three that had been stolen.
Alan Stephen Rankin, 41, of Blockhouse, has been charged with:
- Assault with a Weapon;
- Possession of Property Obtained by Crime;
- Resisting a Peace Officer;
- Obstructing a Peace Officer;
- Possession of a Controlled Substance;
- Possession of Break-In Instrument;
- Failure to Comply with Order (three counts)
Rankin was remanded into custody and will appear in Bridgewater Provincial Court on September 28, 2022, at 9:30 a.m.
The 35-year-old Bayport man was later released and will appear Bridgewater Provincial Court at a later date.
The investigation is ongoing.
