Two men are in custody following a string of high-risk break-ins across multiple communities that included stolen vehicles, a damaged police cruiser, and a seized firearm.
Brandon Bavis, 30, and Jonathan Brandingen, 29, were arrested on June 5 after a coordinated operation involving Fort Saskatchewan, Morinville, and Central Alberta RCMP units, along with the RCMP Emergency Response Team. Police executed a search warrant at a property on Sturgeon Valley Road in Sturgeon County, where they recovered stolen ATVs and a firearm with a tampered serial number.
The arrests stem from a June 4 incident at Conlon Motorsports in Fort Saskatchewan. Around 2:22 a.m., four suspects used a quad to ram through a gate and steal three motorbikes. During the police response, one suspect rammed an RCMP vehicle, causing significant damage. The stolen bikes were found several hours later.
Investigators linked the break-in to a June 3 theft at Gibbons Motor Toys, where several ATVs were stolen. One of those ATVs — along with another taken from Athabasca in December 2024 — was found during the June 5 search.
Bavis has been charged with breaking and entering. Brandingen faces multiple charges including breaking and entering, flight from police, dangerous driving, public mischief, unauthorized possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm with a tampered serial number.
Both men appeared before a Justice of the Peace and were remanded into custody. Their next court dates will be held at the Alberta Court of Justice in Fort Saskatchewan.
RCMP say the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are possible.
