Four suspects are in custody and one has been released following an armed bank robbery in Elfros two weeks ago.
On October 7, a masked gunman entered the Elfros Credit Union and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. Police located the getaway car and gave chase to a wooded area south of the Fishing Lake First Nation where two suspects abandoned the vehicle and continued on foot.
RCMP officers followed, but were unable to capture the two suspects. They did, however, come across Levon Desjarlais, 28, who has been charged with one count each of armed robbery and accessory after the fact to the commission of an indictable offence.
After abandoning the search for the other two suspects, the Mounties issued nationwide warrants for Joseph Desjarlais, 24, and Caleb Desjarlais, 20.
Levon appeared in Yorkton court October 8 and was remanded in custody until October 23 in Wynyard.
At the time of the robbery, Joseph had just been released from jail eight days earlier. He had spent just over 13 months in custody on charges related to a series of break and enters in Invermay, Rama and Sheho.
In that case, Joseph had also allegedly led police on a chase through the woods, eluded capture and was subject to a Canada-wide warrant.
On October 14, police executed search warrants on two residences on the Fishing Lake First Nation where
they caught up with Joseph and also arrested two others, 33-year-
old Michelle Desjarlais and 28-year-old Bradley Kittiewaywinnie, as ac-cessories after the fact.
Police did not apprehend Caleb who remained at large.
In Yorkton court October 15, Joseph and Kittiewaywinnie were remanded in custody and their hearings adjourned to October 23 in Wynyard.
Michelle was remanded that day, but was released Monday on conditions that included the statutory conditions plus a residential requirement, curfew, firearms prohibition and a no contact clause with the rest of the co-accused.
On October 19, Caleb walked into the RCMP detachment at Wadena and turned himself in.
Joseph and Caleb each face charges of armed robbery, wearing a disguise with intent to commit an indictable offence, possession of the proceeds of crime, possession of a stolen vehicle, pointing a firearm at another person, possession of a prohibited weapon, unauthorized possession of a firearm in a vehicle, flight from police and dangerous driving.
Although only one of the suspects is alleged to have entered the credit union, in Canadian law, a person only needs be party to an offence to be charged with it.
Caleb was scheduled to make his first court appearance in Yorkton October 21.
