Dufferin Fuel Theft — A late-night incident involving property theft, stolen vehicles, gunfire, and multiple arrests has drawn attention across southern Manitoba following an investigation by the Pembina Valley RCMP. According to details released by law enforcement officials, an August 15 incident in the Rural Municipality of Dufferin involved four suspects stealing fuel from a local property, leading to a confrontation with an armed property owner who fired shots towards the suspects’ vehicles. The aftermath of the late-night encounter resulted in criminal charges for three individuals—including a resident from the Rural Municipality of Hanover and two residents from the Rural Municipality of Emerson-Franklin—as well as charges against the 66-year-old property owner himself following police intervention at the scene.

Confrontation and Investigation in the RM of Dufferin

The events leading up to the arrests unfolded on Saturday, August 15, when Pembina Valley RCMP received a report of a theft in progress at approximately 10:45 p.m. Investigators determined that four suspects had initially visited the property situated in the Rural Municipality of Dufferin earlier in the day before choosing to return later that evening. When the suspects returned during the night, they arrived using two separate vehicles. Police later confirmed through their investigation that both of these vehicles had been reported stolen from Watrous, Saskatchewan.

While the suspects were on the property, the 66-year-old male property owner was alerted to the ongoing activity by a motion camera installed on his premises. Upon receiving the notification, the property owner went directly to the area to investigate the disturbance. Upon arriving, he observed the suspects actively engaged in transferring fuel from a portable container directly into one of the stolen vehicles that had been brought onto his land.

Equipped with a firearm, the property owner chose to confront the individuals on his property. During the course of this confrontation, the property owner discharged his weapon, firing shots towards the vehicles present at the scene. Following the gunfire, three of the four suspects remained at the property until Pembina Valley RCMP officers arrived on location and took them directly into custody. Upon searching the scene and the vehicles, investigating officers discovered items in the back of the truck that were believed to have been stolen from the property owner’s premises.

The fourth suspect managed to flee the immediate scene during the encounter, driving away in the second stolen vehicle. Pembina Valley RCMP initiated a search for the fleeing vehicle and the missing individual. The following morning, law enforcement officers located the second stolen vehicle abandoned in a canola field located a few kilometres away from the Dufferin property where the initial theft and confrontation occurred.

Details of Charges and Identified Individuals

Following the response and ongoing investigation by Pembina Valley RCMP, multiple individuals were formally charged in connection with the incident, including a resident from Hanover, two residents from Emerson-Franklin, and the property owner himself.

Among those taken into custody at the scene was 29-year-old Dylan Slaunwhite, a resident of the Rural Municipality of Hanover. Slaunwhite faces a comprehensive list of criminal charges, including:

Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose;
Theft under $5,000;
Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000;
Possessing break-in instruments;
Mischief under $5,000;
Trespassing; and
Failure to comply with a release order condition.

A second suspect arrested by police at the property was identified as 47-year-old Kenneth Schultz, hailing from the Rural Municipality of Emerson-Franklin. Schultz has been charged with several offences arising from the late-night incident:

Theft under $5,000;
Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000;
Possessing break-in instruments;
Mischief under $5,000; and
Trespassing.

In addition to Schultz, police arrested a 41-year-old female resident from the Rural Municipality of Emerson-Franklin at the scene. Although police did not publicly release her name, she faces an identical set of criminal charges as Schultz:

Theft under $5,000;
Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000;
Possessing break-in instruments;
Mischief under $5,000; and
Trespassing.

The 66-year-old property owner was also arrested by officers at the scene following the discharge of his weapon. Law enforcement charged the property owner with six firearm-related offences, comprising two counts each of careless use of a firearm, using a firearm in the commission of an offence, and discharging a firearm in a reckless manner.

Reporting based on published details provided by The Carillon. Stay tuned for further updates on Dufferin Fuel Theft.

Post Views: 2