Alberta woman wrongfully released from jail on fake papers arrested in B.C.
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An Alberta woman on the lam for more than a month after being wrongfully released from an Edmonton-area jail has been arrested by B.C. RCMP.
Alberta RCMP said in a news release that 24-year-old Mackenzie Dawn Hardy, as well as alleged accomplice, 27-year-old David Joseph Wood, had been arrested in Revelstoke, B.C., on Thursday.
Hardy had been charged with several offences, including possession of stolen property, impaired driving, flight from police and driving without insurance or registration and was arrested in March by Red Deer RCMP.
The Alberta Crown Prosecution Service said earlier this month that Hardy was released after staff at the Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre, about 40 kilometres northeast of Edmonton, were shown documents saying her charges were stayed — but those papers were false.
According to the news release, Red Deer RCMP determined that Wood conspired with Hardy and assisted with the fraudulent release. An arrest warrant was issued for Wood last week.
The pair were arrested after a patrol officer with Revelstoke RCMP observed two individuals recognized as Hardy and Wood walking away from a stolen vehicle, police said.
In addition to Hardy's outstanding warrants, she has additionally been charged with escaping lawful custody, police said.
Wood has been charged with assisting the escape of a prisoner, identify fraud and uttering a forged document.
A woman who identifies herself as Hardy posted videos on the social media platform TikTok, where she taunts law enforcement and denied that the papers were fake.
Both Hardy and Wood have been taken before a Justice of the Peace and remanded into custody, police said.
They will be taken back to Alberta will they will be brought before the courts regarding future court dates.
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