Hinton RCMP deployed a drone to locate and arrest a man who fled after ditching a stolen truck in a local park, authorities say.Officers first spotted the pickup with a damaged headlight on Tuesday. When RCMP approached, the driver ran a stop sign and attempted to evade police. The vehicle, confirmed stolen from Edson, was abandoned along a trail in the tree line. The driver then fled on foot into the forest..RCMP Remote Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) was deployed and quickly located the suspect, leading to his arrest. Lucas Beaulieu, 34, of Hinton, now faces charges of possession of stolen property over $5,000, driving while prohibited, and failure to comply with a probation order. He was remanded into custody and was scheduled to appear in Alberta Court of Justice in Grande Cache on Thursday.Staff Sgt. Shiloh Fragomeni, Hinton RCMP detachment commander, praised the technology. “This file highlights tools that can rapidly be deployed to help apprehend a suspect and lower the probability of escape,” Fragomeni said.
