Two men charged after violent carjacking spree in SE Calgary

Two men are facing charges after a carjacking spree earlier this month in southeast Calgary.

The series of alleged crimes began at a parking lot near 58 Avenue and Centre Street S around 4:15 p.m. on Nov. 4.

Police allege someone was sitting in the driver’s seat of their vehicle when two suspects drove into the lot in a stolen Chevrolet Silverado. One of the suspects tried to get in the person’s vehicle but they were able to drive away.

The suspect’s caused around $5,000 in damage to the vehicle while trying to get in. They left the parking lot in the Silverado.

Less than five minutes later, the same two suspects were at Sue Higgins Park, near Southland Drive and Deerfoot Trail SE, where they allegedly ditched the Silverado and stole a Ford Ranger that was unoccupied and left running.

The suspects drove the Ford Ranger to a parking lot near 52 Street and 72 Avenue SE around 4:30 p.m. where they both got out of the truck and tried to remove a driver from another vehicle.

The driver was able to fight the suspects off before the pair moved on to remove the driver of a Toyota Corolla parked in the same lot. The fled the are in the stolen Corolla, leaving the Ranger behind.

Around 4:40 p.m., the suspects drove into a parking lot on 51 Avenue just east of 52 Street SE. It’s alleged the pair tried to steal a parked BMW but became involved in a struggle with several witnesses and the owner of the vehicle.

The suspects fled the parking lot in the stolen Corolla they arrived in.

Officers were called to a field in the area of 50 Avenue and 68 Street SE around 5:10 p.m. for reports of a crash involving the Corolla. The two suspects were arrested at the scene and taken to hospital with injuries.

Calgary residents Sebastian Thomas Tait, 30, and Hunter Samson-Boucher, 25, are each facing multiple charges including three counts of robbery and one count of vehicle theft.

Calgary police say the string of carjackings and attempted carjackings led to a “significant police response” from multiple units, including the canine unit and forensic crime scene investigators.

“Throughout this spree, these suspects showed a concerning escalation in violence and no regard for public safety,” says Staff Sgt. Keith Shufelt in a statement. “For almost an hour, we had police resources from all over the city focused on tracking and apprehending these individuals to prevent further victimization.”

Both of the accused will appear in a Calgary courtroom on Dec. 5.