Jail ordered for multiple offences
By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on December 3, 2022.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com
A Lethbridge man has been sentenced to nearly a year in jail for a rash of criminal offences he committed in 2021.
Aaron Vincent Bastien was sentenced to nine and a half months in custody after pleading guilty Friday in Lethbridge provincial court to charges of break and enter, uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, possession of stolen property, dangerous driving and three counts of theft under $5,000.Â
At about 7:45 a.m. on July 20, a resident called police to report someone had stolen his pickup truck from his westside home. Later in the afternoon police received another call from a person concerned that a “suspicious” truck was parked near the Superlodge Motel on 7 Avenue South and three people from the vehicle had gone toward the motel.
Police found the individuals in the alley, and they told officers Bastien had been driving the truck. He was found in one of the motel rooms and arrested.
Only two days later police were investigating a report that someone was passed out in a minivan, which had been stolen earlier in the morning. While police investigated the theft, they learned of a hit and run involving the stolen minivan on 10 Ave. S.
A witness said he saw the minivan driving erratically, and a second witness said she had also seen the vehicle driving erratically and saw it strike a curb then a car. She led police to the vehicle, from which Bastien and another individual had already fled, but were ultimately caught and arrested.
On Sept. 5 a woman called police and said a man had stolen keys from her vehicle in the 2200 block of 8 Avenue South. The man told the her he would return the keys for $20 but then he left the area. Half an hour later police saw Bastien riding a bike and asked him if he knew anything about stolen keys, and he admitted he threw them under a C Can in the alley.
Later in the month a police officer was dispatched to an area on 13 Street North where two men were reportedly in an alley and using drugs. Bastien was still on the property when the officer arrived, and he offered Bastien a ride to the homeless shelter. When the officer searched him he found a loaded syringe in his pocket.
As the officer placed Bastien in the vehicle, a second officer reported that Bastien was suspected of a recent break-in. A search of a black handbag he was carrying revealed numerous vehicle keys and key fobs, as well as three credit cards belonging to other people.
At about 8:20 p.m. on Oct. 11 a woman contacted police and said she had gotten into an argument with three drunken people, during which Bastien threatened “to put a bullet in her head” and shoot her children. The individuals left the area, but the woman’s husband and mother followed them.
Police found them shortly afterward walking along 26 Avenue North and Bastien was arrested.
Earlier the same day Bastien had stolen some juice from a store, then returned later in the day with two other people. While an employee spoke with Bastien the other two individuals stole items and fled. Video surveillance showed Bastien also stealing a bottle of Jagermeister.
Although sentenced to 285 days in jail, Bastien was given credit for the same amount of time he had spent in remand custody, which completes his sentence. He is also prohibited from possessing weapons for three years, and from driving for one year.
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That is a long list of crimes which show a complete disregard and disrespect for law yet he is already back on the street.
This is the perfect example of how broken our judicial and penal systems are! It is a joke!
Re-read the article and pay attention to all the crimes he committed and continued to commit after charged and released.
I expect he will continue to commit crimes, but will be more violent if someone attempts to stop him during the commission of those crimes in an effort not to get caught by police! No rehabilitation, no remorse, but a dangerous person back on the streets, endangering the public!
Is there any wonder police are so frustrated with the system?