Flight from police lands man in prison

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on August 9, 2022.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A southern Alberta man who evaded police until he was finally stopped by a spike belt has been sent to a federal penitentiary.

Steve Lagace, a 37-year-old father of two, was sentenced last week in Lethbridge provincial court to three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to numerous criminal offences, including breaches and flight from police.

On April 13 of this year Lagace, who was bound by previous release orders not to have any contact with a former girlfriend, assaulted the woman but fled in a vehicle before police arrived. Police were able to track the vehicle by its GPS system and caught up with Lagace on Highway 3 just outside of Lethbridge, but he took off when police activated their emergency lights.

Lagace drove throughout southern Alberta but police continued to track his movements. At one point a spike belt was deployed, but he avoided it and continued to flee, returning to Lethbridge several hours later.

Lagace eventually discovered police were tracking him by GPS and he disabled the system, but police contacted him by cell phone and attempted to convince him to give himself up to police. He refused, however, and said he was upset with the RCMP for trying to stop him with a spike belt.

Two days later police received a report that Lagace had returned to his ex-girlfriend’s residence. She was not home but had received a notification on her baby monitor and saw Lagace in her residence. Police responded and saw Lagace leave in a vehicle, but when they tried to stop him he took off again, driving through a red light and fleeing on Highway 3.

Lagace was finally caught after he returned to Lethbridge and police were able to blow out his tires with a spike belt as he drove along University Drive West and then used a pit maneuver to force him to stop.

Officers ordered Lagace, who was sitting behind the drivers’ seat with his hands up, to exit the vehicle and he was arrested.

Lagace also pleaded guilty to additional breach charges, as well as charges of theft, possession of stolen property over $5,000 and resisting a peace officer.

On Sept. 6 of last year he stole his then-girlfriend’s wallet and other items, including her cell phone to prevent her from calling police or friends for help. And in May of this year, when he was supposed to be on house arrest and was prohibited from contacting his ex-girlfriend, he returned to the woman’s house.

That same month, after he had been released on bail with conditions that he remain on house arrest and answer the door when police checked on him, the man with whom Lagace was supposed to be living called police and told them Lagace had left the residence and was no longer living there. He gave police a note from Lagace, which read “I couldn’t stand to be here anymore.”

On Jan. 24 of this year near highway 22 an RCMP officer saw a truck with its headlights on parked on the side of the road. He noted the tail lights were not working and the lone occupant, Lagace, was passed out in the driver’s seat. Police awoke him and ordered him to unlock the door and exit the vehicle, but he refused and police had to smash the window before they could arrest him. Police determined the vehicle had been stolen.

Lagace was in trouble again on June 1 of this year after RCMP received a report of a collision near Lacombe County in which a truck had driven through four fences and become stuck in a ditch. The driver, Lagace, abandoned the truck, which had been reported stolen, and fled into nearby woods. Police found him shortly afterward as he was running barefoot in a muddy field, and although he initially refused to stop fleeing, he gave up when there was nowhere else to run.

At the time of the incident Lagace was wanted on warrants and was still on house arrest. He was also bound by previous release conditions not to be in a vehicle without the registered owner.

Lethbridge lawyer Darcy Shurtz told court that before this string of offences, Lagace’s last offence was in 2013, and during the intervening years he had been employed. However, following an injury Lagace was put on medication and he began using drugs, which led to the offences. Shurtz said Lagace, who had previously planned to receive treatment but failed to so, may now get it in prison.

“Hopefully, now that he’s dealing with these charges, he’s going to be in a federal penitentiary system, he’ll be able to get the help he needs,” Shurtz said.

Lagace, who had remained composed while the Crown related the circumstances of his offences, broke down crying when given the opportunity to speak.

“I’m sorry for what I’ve done,” he said. “That’s not me anymore.”

In addition to his three-year sentence, Lagace will be prohibited from driving for three years after he is released. He was also given a compensation order of $28,530 for damages and the cost of towing the F350 truck he drove through fences.

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