North Edmonton crime spree ends in arrest of man with 27 prior charges
On July 16, just before 11:45 a.m. police received a report of a stolen white sedan in the area of 129 Avenue and 97 Street that was involved in a hit-and run collision later that day. At roughly 7:45 p.m., in the area of 123 Avenue and 90 Street, a 59-year-old man riding a bicycle was struck, said police in a news release.
The man was transported to hospital by emergency crews with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
At roughly 8 p.m. the suspect driver of the sedan attacked a 40-year-old man in the area of 132 Avenue and 83 Street with a knife. Police said the man was stabbed several times before the suspect fled the scene in the same stolen vehicle.
Police said the man suffered serious life-threatening injuries but is now in stable condition.
Officers were able to identify the vehicle and take the suspect into custody in the early morning hours of July 17.
Cody Slade Desjarlais is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of stolen property, two counts of driving while prohibited, breach of release order, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public, assault causing bodily hard, assault with a weapon, and failure to stop after an accident and theft of a motor vehicle.
Police say Desjarlais was released on bail on July 4, stemming from an October 2024 injury collision that involved two women and a child. Desjarlais was facing 27 charges, including impaired driving prior to the incidents this month.
'This individual posed a serious and unpredictable threat to public safety,' said acting Insp. Eric Stewart, with the EPS investigative response team.
'Thanks to the swift action from our officers, we were able to arrest this suspect and assist the individuals he harmed. We remain hopeful that the justice system will hold this individual accountable for his offences.'
Desjarlais remains in custody, and police say none of the victims were known to each other or Desjarlais.
jhills@postmedia.com
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