Man steals truck from senior, swims across lake

A vehicle damaged during a vehicle theft in Portage la Prairie is shown in an undated, RCMP-supplied image.

A 21-year-old man is facing a laundry list of charges after a string of violent incidents in Portage la Prairie that began with vehicle theft and ended with a man swimming across a lake in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid arrest.

The string of incidents began Monday night at around 9:20 p.m. Mounties responded to an assault with a weapon outside a home on Meighen Avenue.

It was reported a 65-year-old man was loading up his truck when a suspect armed with a crowbar approached him and demanded his vehicle.

He struck the man with the crowbar, and drove off in the truck.

Police say the senior did not need medical attention.

As officers were en route to track down the suspect, they started to get calls with updates on the stolen vehicle.

It was reported the man was driving erratically, causing damage to a number of properties.

Property damage caused during a string of violent incidents in Portage la Prairie on June 24, 2024 is shown in an RCMP-supplied image.

Mounties were able to find the truck nearby, damaged and abandoned.

As they were containing the area, they got another call, this one reporting a home invasion on Wilkinson Crescent.

A man had broken into the home, threatened the homeowner, and attempted to steal his vehicle.

Police arrived on scene to see the man in the backyard of the home. He ran away, jumped into Crescent Lake, and swam to the other side.

An officer was able to find him hiding, and he was arrested without incident.

A 21-year-old man from Dakota Tipi First Nation was charged with a slew of offences including two counts of robbery with a weapon, two counts of assault with a weapon, and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

None of the charges have been tested in court.

He was remanded into custody.

The aftermath of a string of violent incidents in Portage la Prairie on June 24, 2024 is shown in an RCMP-supplied image.