Two arrested in northern Saskatchewan after all-day manhunt for armed auto thieves

A photo of the vehicle stolen by a group of armed suspects currently on the run from the Saskatchewan RCMP. (Source: RCMP)

The Saskatchewan RCMP is calling off its dangerous persons alert after two people were arrested in the Tobin Lake area Thursday afternoon.

RCMP say at around 7:30 a.m., the man was in a vehicle near White Star Road north of Prince Albert, when he was approached by multiple suspects in a black SUV wearing black bandanas or black balaclavas.

“The adult male was shot by the suspects. The suspects stole the man’s vehicle, a white 2020 Dodge Ram, and cellphone, and abandoned the black SUV. The victim did not know the suspects” RCMP said.

An emergency alert blared out on cell phones across the province just before 10 a.m., outlining a string of armed vehicle robberies in the Prince Albert area, with three to four armed suspects last seen around 9:30 a.m. near the junction of Highway 55 and Highway 123, just east of Nipawin, Sask.

• Get the CTV News app for Saskatchewan breaking news alerts and top stories 

Just after 10 a.m., the RCMP believed the suspects were heading down Highway 123 toward Cumberland House. The RCMP says at around 10:30 a.m., the white Dodge Ram collided with a heavy equipment vehicle on Highway 123 in the Thunder Rapids area.

The RCMP says the suspects then abandoned the truck and and ran into the bush. There were no injuries reported to police as a result of the collision. Police said they located and seized two guns from the vehicle.

Just after 4 p.m., the RCMP said two suspects - one male and one female - had been arrested and it was cancelling its dangerous persons alert. Police believe there may be two other suspects still outstanding and moving on foot in the Tobin Lake area.

The RCMP says residents in the Tobin Lake area may notice a continued increased police presence as multiple police units and detachments are pitching in to search for the suspects.

“The search area is incredibly challenging – the bush is very dense and thick, and there is extremely limited cell service,” RCMP said in an updated release sent shortly before 6 p.m.

The Saskatchewan RCMP is also asking residents of these areas to check on their neighbours to ensure everyone’s safe.

Police are asking residents and businesses from Holbein to Nipawin and up to the Thunder Rapids area — especially along highways 355 and 55 — to check video surveillance for any signs of a black Honda CRV with three to four suspects dressed in all black and bandanas over their faces between Oct. 23 and the morning of Oct. 24, driving in and between the Holbein and Thunder Rapids areas.