Two of the three accused in the recent Canadian Tire gun robbery were in Nelson Provincial Court on Monday.
Dustin Zier, 33 has been in custody since his July 21 arrest and appeared via video link. As a condition of bail following her arrest, co-accused Dori Ann Swanson, 41, made a promise to appear and was in court. James Beestra, 31, was release on bail a week after the arrests, but according to a court spokesperson, he did not appear in person.
Each alleged perpetrator is charged with several weapons-related offences and possession of stolen property.
The case has been adjourned to Sept. 13 for election. That means, the courts will decide if the trial will be heard in supreme court or provincial court should the defendants choose to go to trial.
Of the 15 stolen guns, only three have been recovered, confirmed Great Trail RCMP Sgt. Darren Oelke.
The trio is alleged to have stolen a pick-up truck from the Waneta area to use in the crime, the vehicle has since been found.
Trail police responded to an alarm from the store at approximately 4 a.m on July 20. The suspects gained entrance by smashing the front entrance glass, but were gone from the scene by the time officers arrived.
The store’s surveillance video revealed two adult males heading straight to the firearms section. Also caught on video was the stolen truck.
“Just by watching the video, it definitely appeared the suspects knew where they were going in the store and knew exactly what they wanted,” said Greater Trail RCMP Cpl. Darryl Orr. “So, it was well planned.”
Anyone with information on the break and enter is encouraged to call Crimestoppers at 1.800.222.8477 or Greater Trail RCMP at 250.365.2566.