Preliminary hearing set for March 2027 in Blackfalds armed robbery case
A Red Deer court will decide next year whether there is enough evidence to send the case to trial.
Why it matters
The case highlights an ongoing search for a second suspect from an armed robbery that alarmed the Blackfalds community.
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for March 23, 2027, in Red Deer Court of Justice for a man charged in connection with an armed robbery at a Blackfalds gas station earlier this year.
Blackfalds RCMP received a report of a robbery at the Chevron on Vista Trail at 6:49 a.m. on March 6, 2026. Investigators say two masked men in winter clothing, one appearing to carry a handgun, entered the store and stole cash and cigarettes before fleeing across Vista Trail in a vehicle.
On March 18, 2026, with help from the Edmonton Police Service Robbery Section and Tactical Unit, Blackfalds RCMP executed a search warrant at an Edmonton residence and arrested a suspect inside. Joshua Robert Sweeney, 30, of Edmonton, was charged with armed robbery with a firearm, disguise with intent, and mischief.
An arrest warrant remains outstanding for a second suspect, 31-year-old Gerard Martin Dwayne Pariseau, also of Edmonton.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.