Saturday, Nov 21, 2015 06:00 am

By: Doug Neuman

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Vader rearrested

The man accused of murdering St. Albert couple Lyle and Marie McCann is once again behind bars.

Alberta RCMP confirmed Travis Vader was arrested for obstruction of justice and two counts of failing to comply with his release conditions, and is scheduled to appear in Barrhead Provincial Court on Nov. 24.

Cpl. Sharon Franks said the breach-of-recognizance charges stem from Vader contacting someone he was ordered not to contact, but couldn’t provide further details.

On Nov. 19, the CBC reported Vader was arrested for attempting to contact his former fiancée, whom he is accused of assaulting, asking her to refuse to testify and drop the charges.

Vader is charged with first-degree murder in connection to the McCanns’ July 2010 disappearance. Their RV was found burned a few days later in Edson. Vader was charged in their deaths, but the charges were stayed in early 2014. He was re-arrested on those charges last December.

Vader is scheduled to face the murder charges in March.

Collision with school bus

A collision between a car and a school bus full of students in St. Albert on Wednesday did not result in injuries requiring emergency medical attention.

St. Albert RCMP Cpl. Laurel Kading said the collision took place around 3:10 p.m. on Nov. 18 at the intersection of Gate Avenue and St. Albert Trail.

The school bus had been travelling down St. Albert Trail when a red 2015 Hyundai car approached the intersection and slid into the side of the school bus, sustaining extensive front-end damage. The school bus had minor damage on one side.

One of the students on the bus complained of a minor discomfort, but did not require emergency medical treatment. Students were transferred to another bus for the ride home.

The intersection was icy at the time of the collision. Police continue to investigate.

Break and enters

Two break-and-enters and an attempted break-and-enter were recently reported to St. Albert RCMP.

On Nov. 16, the owner of First Student Canada on Riel Drive found the business had been broken into over the weekend. Entry was gained by breaking a window. The business was ransacked, and a two-way radio was stolen.

On Nov. 14, at 1:10 a.m., someone smashed through the front doors of Extreme Pita at 700 St. Albert Trail and stole an undisclosed amount of money from the cash register.

Some time between Nov. 10 and Nov. 12, someone tried to break into a residence on Garroway Place. There are pry marks on the front door, but it appears the suspect couldn’t get into the home and nothing was stolen.

Hit and run

Police want the public’s help in identifying the driver of a red car involved in a hit-and-run collision on Nov. 11.

An officer on patrol found that a white SUV parked on Inglewood Drive had been hit by another vehicle that fled the scene. The SUV had extensive damage, to the rear driver’s side, including a smashed rear window and the rear tire being detached from the axle.

Police believe the car was red because of a long streak of red paint left on the SUV, and believe the car would have sustained significant damages as well.

The collision occurred some time between 2:20 p.m. and 4:45 p.m.

Stolen vehicles

Police are looking for a car thief or car thieves in St. Albert.

Some time overnight on Nov. 15, a Grey 2000 Toyota Celica with the licence plate number BSS-1810 was stolen from the Forest Lawn area.

In a similar occurrence overnight on Nov. 12, a black Ford Explorer with the licence plate number BPT-9809 was stolen from the Grandin area. That vehicle was subsequently found and returned to the owner.

Theft from dealership

Police want the public’s help in identifying a man who stole truck parts from a city car dealership.

On Nov. 1, between 1:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., a man walked into the fenced compound at the Ron Hodgson dealership and stole a transfer case – part of a vehicle’s drive train – for a 2003 Hummer H2.

Video surveillance shows the man carried the part to a small black pickup truck parked nearby, which police say was likely a Ford Ranger or a Mazda B2300 from between 1998 and 2012.

The man is described as light-skinned with very short hair, possibly with a dark beard, and a slim-to-medium build. He was wearing a dark blue, long-sleeved shirt over a medium green shirt, dark blue pants, dark shoes and light-coloured gloves.

Anyone with information about crimes in St. Albert is asked to phone the local RCMP detachment at 780-458-7700 or report their information anonymously and potentially qualify for a reward by phoning Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.