Two men charged with shooting a man on Onion Lake Cree Nation then shooting at people in three carjacking attempts in Lloydminster haven’t been released on bail.
Lucas Aaron Oakes, 24, from Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation, and Jesse Leigh Heathen, 33, from Lloydminster, had more bail hearing in Lloydminster Provincial Court Sept. 14. They also had bail hearings on Aug. 17 and Aug. 24 but they remain in custody.
Oakes, Heathen, and Montana Horse, 21, were arrested July 29 after keeping both Saskatchewan and Alberta RCMP busy in alleged incidents in the two provinces.
According to RCMP, they received a call at about 5 p.m. on July 29 about a shooting on Onion Lake Cree Nation. The victim was taken to hospital with serious but non life-threatening injuries.
Not long after, Lloydminster, Alberta RCMP started receiving calls about two attempted carjackings where people in vehicles allegedly had a gun pointed at them and in two attempts shots were fired. Police say the suspects crashed their vehicle then tried to carjack two vehicles at gunpoint but failed. On a third attempt they stole a truck from an individual.
RCMP pursued the stolen truck but called off the chase over concerns about public safety when the driver drove into oncoming traffic in the westbound lanes on Hwy 16, a four-lane divided highway between Lloydminster and North Battelford.
At about 7 p.m. Maidstone, Sask., RCMP received a call that a truck was stolen near the junction of Hwy 16 and Hwy 303. Alberta RCMP located the vehicle later that day in Lloydminster and Horse was arrested. She was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of property obtained by crime, and two counts of failing to comply with conditions. She was wanted by the police when she was arrested. Horse and Oakes were two of 11 who were the first charged under the Saskatchewan Public Health Act during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Oakes and Heathen were arrested shortly after Horse. At about 7:30 p.m. RCMP got a call that a truck was stuck near Hillmond, Sask. Police found the vehicle and no one was inside but the RCMP located and arrested Oakes and Heathen walking on a road nearby.
Both Heathen and Oakes were charged with theft of a truck, robbery using a firearm, discharge of a firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm, assault, uttering threats and flight from police. Heathen was charged with several more offences and Oakes was charged with 15 additional offences, including seven charges in connection to shooting of the man on Onion Lake Cree Nation.
Heathen was also charged in connection to a home invasion on Ministikwan First Nation in December 2018. In July 2019 the matter was sent to Battelford Court of Queen's Bench for trial but the Crown prosecutor in Meadow Lake issued a stay of proceedings on March 26, 2020.
The charges against the three haven’t been proven in court.
The bail hearing for Oakes and Heathen was adjourned to Oct. 5 in Lloydminster Provincial Court. Horse was released on bail in August and is also scheduled to appear Oct. 5.
Onion Lake Cree Nation is about 30 kilometres north of Lloydminster and borders Alberta and Saskatchewan.
