STRATHMORE, ALBERTA — Mounties have significantly increased the reward for information in an effort to apprehend the remaining suspect in a deadly roadside shooting near Calgary.
"A decision to offer $10,000 for any information leading to Mr. Elijah Blake Strawberry's arrest is not something that happens often, but it does demonstrate the Alberta RCMP's commitment to follow all avenues available to find Mr. Strawberry in a timely manner," Staff Sgt. Mark Wielgosz, the detachment commander with Strathmore RCMP, told reporters Friday.
The reward had previously been $2,000.
Strawberry, 28, is wanted in the Aug. 6 shooting death of Colin Hough and wounding of another man who worked for Fortis Alberta.
The two were on the job when they were shot on a country road east of Calgary. Hough worked for Rocky View County and the suspects fled in the county truck.
A warrant has been issued for Strawberry’s arrest on charges of second-degree murder and attempted murder.
With help from Edmonton police, Mounties have arrested 35-year-old Arthur Wayne Penner in that city and charged him with first-degree murder in the death of Hough along with the attempted murder of the second worker.
Wielgosz said law enforcement agencies in Alberta are looking for Strawberry in co-ordination with RCMP in Saskatchewan and British Columbia.
But Wielgosz said it's still believed the suspect remains in Alberta.
"We of course work with our neighbouring provinces and law enforcement counterparts such as the RCMP in both British Columbia and Saskatchewan. They are all aware of Mr. Strawberry, what he looks like and they are prepared if they should encounter him," he said.
"We still believe he is in Alberta as there is no information that suggests otherwise."
Strawberry is described as six feet one inch tall, 169 pounds, with brown hair, a light complexion, and several arm and face tattoos. He is considered armed and dangerous.
"Time has passed. It can at times be frustrating but I can tell you it has not diminished the resolve of our investigative teams in their efforts to locate Mr. Strawberry," Wielgosz said.
— By Bill Graveland in Calgary
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 23, 2024.
The Canadian Press