A 23-year-old man from Sherwood Park has been charged with arson after the Sam Steele memorial statue was destroyed in a fire on the night of March 21.
Strathcona County RCMP and emergency crews responded around 10:25 p.m. to a blaze near Athabascan Ave. and Broadmoor Blvd.. When officers arrived, they found the statue engulfed in flames. The monument was destroyed as a result of the fire.
Police arrested a suspect nearby without incident.
Sebastian Reddeman has been charged with arson and failing to comply with an undertaking. He remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in Alberta Court of Justice in Sherwood Park on Wednesday.
As a member of the North-West Mounted Police, Steele was an important participant in the signing of Treaty 6 and Treaty 7, the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the North-West Rebellion and the Klondike gold rush, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia.
RCMP are asking anyone with information about the incident or other criminal activity in the area to contact them at 780-467-7741 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Tips can also be submitted online at www.P3Tips.com or through the “P3 Tips” mobile app.
