By Aaron Mahoney (@Mahones93 on Twitter)

With help from the K9 unit, Lethbridge Police charge seven young people with conspiracy offences

Nov 19, 2018 | 2:43 PM

LETHBRIDGE – Lethbridge Police charged seven young men, ranging in age from 13 to 17, over the weekend with conspiracy offences following two organized thefts of Apple products from stores at Park Place Mall.

Officers responded to a report of an organized theft from i-World and within minutes, a second incident at Staples on Friday, Nov. 16, at 8:30 p.m. 

An investigation that a group of five young men, dressed in winter clothing entered, i-World and stole a total of nine iPhones in under a minute. 

The group then fled the store and entered Staples on the north side of the mall where they proceeded to steal two additional iPhones. 

A staff member who attempted to intervene was threatened before the group took off.

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Witnesses saw the group run through the parking lot, jump the fence and run cross Highway 3. 

A short time later the group returned to the mall parking lot where they were picked up by a waiting vehicle, where police began tailing the vehicle to a dead-end parking lot where the occupants attempted to flee on foot. 

Thanks to assistance from the K9 unit and witnesses in the area, police apprehended seven individuals in total who were involved either in entering the stores or acting as lookouts, as well as the getaway driver.

Eight of the 11 stolen phones were also recovered, and the value of the stolen property is approximately $13,000.

Two 13-year-olds, one 14-year-old and one 17-year-old, all from Calgary, along with a 15-year-old, 16-year-old and 17-year-old from Lethbridge, have each been charged with conspiracy to commit theft over $5,000 and conspiracy to commit robbery. 

Following Judicial Interim Release hearings all were released from custody. 

The 13-year-olds are scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 20, while the remaining youths will appear in court Nov. 28.