Pair from Calgary facing dozens of charges in multiple break-and-enters

Two people are facing a laundry list of charges in connection to numerous crimes, including a break-and-enter at a gun club north of Calgary Friday that forced residents of the area to shelter in place for hours.

On Friday, Feb. 9 just after 5 a.m. Didsbury RCMP were called to a break-and-enter at the Silver Willow Farm Sporting Club, located in Mountain View County.

The person who called 911 — a property representative — was notified by an on-site security system that two people were at the business.

The representative drove there and found two people getting into a Volkswagen hatchback car and trying to drive away.

But, police say, the vehicle got stuck, and the man got out of the car holding a long-barreled gun, and pointed it at the complainant before running towards their vehicle.

The suspect then shot at the complainant, who was still in the vehicle, and hit the vehicle.

The person who called 911 wasn’t injured.

RCMP got to the scene and set up containment, it said Monday, where it requested the help of the Emergency Response Team, Police Dog Services and Olds and Airdrie RCMP.

Residents in the area were placed on a shelter in place.

A short time after, two people were arrested by police.

Calgarian Kyle Nechiporenko, 37, has been charged with attempted murder, discharge a firearm with intent failing to comply with probation order, possession of a firearm without holding a licence, failing to comply with weapons prohibition order. using a disguise to commit an indictable offence, and driving while unauthorized.

Twenty -year-old Soleil Wenas, also of Calgary, is charged with possession of a firearm without holding a licence, and fail to comply with release order conditions.

Together, the pair have been charged with break and enter with intent to steal a firearm, weapon dangerous to the public peace (bear spray), use a firearm while committing an indictable offence, use imitation firearm while committing an indictable offence, theft under $5,000, mischief under $5,000, and possess break & enter instruments.

Nechiporenko was taken into custody and is set to appear in Calgary court on these charges on Wednesday, Feb. 14.

Wenas was also taken into custody and was in Didsbury court on Monday, Feb. 12.

Pair charged in other crimes

The two people arrested Friday for a gun club robbery were also found to allegedly have committed several other crimes involving golf courses, RCMP say.

The Cochrane Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) was assigned to the investigation on Jan. 30, which ultimately identified a man and a woman as suspects.

A VW Jetta was also identified as a suspect vehicle in the case.

On Feb. 9, Cochrane CRU with the help of other agencies, executed a search warrant at a house in northwest Calgary.

The woman was arrested at that time, and stolen property was recovered by police.

RCMP say laptops, motorcycles, firearms, ID’s and ID counterfeiting equipment, tools and bikes, Canadian money, safes, and golf accessories were found.

These items led police to believe the pair were connected to the break-and-enters at several locations including: Silver Willow Sporting Club in Mountain View County; Cottonwood Golf & Country Club in Foothills County, Sirocco Golf Course in Foothills County, Redwood Meadows Golf Course in Tsuut’ina, Priddis Greens Golf Course in Foothills County, River Spirit Golf Course in Calgary, Winter Green Golf Course in Rocky View County, Water Valley Saloon in Water Valley, Serenity Golf Club in Rocky View County, Kananaskis Country Golf Course in Kananaskis, and Livingstone Golf Course in Rocky View County.

In this case, Nechiporenko is charged with attempted murder with a firearm, discharge firearm with intent, break and enter to steal a firearm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, use of a firearm while committing an offence, use of imitation firearm while committing an offence, two counts of failure to comply with a probation order, theft under $5,000, mischief damage to property under $5,000, possession of break-in instruments, disguise with intent, two counts of possession of a firearm while knowing it is prohibited, two counts of possession contrary to order, driving while unauthorized, 11 counts of break and enter a business, and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.

Wenas is charged with break-and-enter to steal a firearm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, use of a firearm while committing an offence, use of imitation firearm while committing an offence, theft under $5,000, possession of break-in instruments, possession of a firearm while knowing it is prohibited, five counts of failure to comply with a release order, three counts of break-and-enter a business, and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.

Both people were also taken into custody for this case, and were set to appear in Didsbury court on Monday, Feb. 12.

A third woman, who was arrested at the Calgary home, was charged with break-and-enter and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.

She was released on an undertaking to appear in Cochrane court on March 12, 2024.