The RCMP are expressing their gratitude to civilians for their role in the arrest of three people accused of trying to steal a truck and fuel in east-central Alberta earlier this month.

“Their assistance is what resulted in the arrests,” police said in a news release issued on Friday. “The RCMP would also like to caution people to not approach or pursue persons suspected of criminal activity due to the potential danger.”

Police said Hanna RCMP were alerted to a truck that reportedly refused to stop for Brooks RCMP officers shortly before 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 17.

Police said the truck was last seen heading towards an area near Pollockville, Alta., when Hanna RCMP started getting complaints about the same vehicle trying to steal gas from several rural locations.

Watch below: (From November 2018) Conservative MP John Barlow is saying not enough is being done to protect rural residents in Alberta, citing a study from the Rural Crime Task Force. Michael King reports.

The last report police received about the suspects indicated a second truck was stolen out of a garage in the Scapa, Alta., area.

“Residents tracked the stolen vehicles to a rural location where one truck was attempting to pull the other out of the snow,” the RCMP said.

“Before police arrived, two shots were fired into the air by a resident in an attempt to stop an altercation with the suspects.”

Police said no one was injured and officers arrived shortly thereafter, where they arrested the trio of suspects.

Thirty-six-year-old Jesse James Den Hollander of Sherwood Park, 30-year-old Jimmy Delane Morsette of Red Deer and 19-year-old Angela Lewis of Ponoka have since been charged with two counts of possession of stolen property over $5,000, theft under $5,000, break and enter with intent to commit an indictable offence and two counts of theft under $5,000.

Hollander and Morsette were also charged with two counts each of breaching court-imposed conditions. Both men have been remanded into custody while Lewis was released from custody on a promise to appear in court next month.

All three of the accused are scheduled to appear in court in Hanna; Morsette is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 8, Lewis is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 27 and Hollander is scheduled to appear in court on April 23.

Watch below: (From November 2018) Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley joined RCMP members Tuesday for a tour of a new data-entry office at RCMP headquarters in Calgary. As Sarah Offin reports, the new system is allowing officers to spend more time in the community, rather than behind a desk.

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