Stolen guitars, a concussion and a high-speed car chase – not your typical Saturday night in Bragg Creek.
Bragg Creek’s Emmett Jerome, 16, was the victim of theft and a hit and run when two of his guitars were stolen after a performance at the Bragg Creek Community Centre Jan. 28.
The teen was leaving the centre after performing with his band, Trouble with the Fritz, self-described as the “wildest, fastest, hardest blues trio this side of the Elbow River.” Band members were carrying their gear, including Jerome’s two guitars, when they saw mutual friends at the skating rink across from the centre. The unexpected happened when they went over to say “hi.”
“I left the two guitars by the back door, it was barely 20 metres to the rink and we went over there for five to 10 minutes at the most, keeping an eye on the guitars,” Jerome said.
“All of a sudden a big SUV drove up and my friends yelled ‘they are taking your guitars’ – I saw the doors of the SUV close and the car started speeding away, they go clockwise (around the centre) and I go counter clockwise while they were speeding.”
The 16-year-old said he tried to “cut the vehicle off” but the Toyota FJ Cruiser was speeding and hit him.
“It hit my full body and I flew back,” Jerome said.
“The car kept going and sped down the road.”
While friends on the scene were calling the RCMP to say the guitars were stolen and the suspect(s) were driving away, Jerome started to feel the beginning effects of a concussion.
“I started suffering from the impact of the car, I didn’t remember why we were at the community centre, I didn’t really know what was going on. I knew it was significant if I couldn’t remember why we were at the centre,” Jerome said.
After finding Jerome’s parents at a local restaurant, the teen was transported to Rockyview General Hospital, where he spent four hours that night waiting for a doctor to rule out no internal bleeding – while friend and Bow Valley High School student Alex Wenezenki, 17, chased down the suspects on Highway 22 north.
“My car was already running so I jumped in my car and I went flying out of the parking lot after them. They got to a four-way stop and tossed the guitars … I called the cops, they were driving 160 (kilometres), just flying through there,” Wenezenki explained.
“The lady on the phone told me to stop the chase. I stopped right before the roundabout … I’m kind of irritated they got away.”
Cochrane RCMP responded to reports of a theft that night and put out a plea to the public three days after the incident asking for assistance in locating the owner of the Toyota FJ Cruiser.
“It was really confusing at the time. In the moment my friend said they were taking the guitars, I never felt worse. I had the guitars for a number of years, I felt sick when I thought I was never going to see them again,” Jerome said.
The Springbank Community High School student said he has been playing music for the past six years, and after the theft of his two guitars, Jerome is now “instrument-less.”
“The police are still finger-printing the guitars – I have no idea what shape they are in,” Jerome said solemnly.
“To have this chance occurrence happen was really shocking. These kind of things don’t happen in Bragg Creek.”
Anyone with information on the incident or who can help identify the suspect(s) is asked to contact Const. Holdenried at the Cochrane RCMP detachment at 403-851-8000, or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
FACTBOX
RCMP are still searching for the Newer Toyota FJ Cruiser, described as;
- Blue in colour
- After market rim's that are black in colour with the lip of the rim being silver
- Bush bar on front bumper
- After market light bar on top of vehicle
- Alberta licence plate
