Three months after a woman was carjacked when she stopped to help at an accident, police have charged a 34-year-old man with a host of criminal offences.
Jason William Diesting was arrested on Wednesday in an Edmonton apartment and has been charged with more than a dozen offences including assault with a weapon, unlawful confinement, possession of an offensive weapon, uttering threats and transportation by fraud.
There were also several charges related to driving including careless driving, failing to stop at a collision and driving without insurance.
The incident happened around 9 p.m. on Dec. 23 when officers were initially called to the intersection of 137 Avenue and St. Albert Trail, because of a collision.
The victim stopped her car and offered two people, a man and woman who were in the accident, the opportunity to get into her car out of the cold.
The woman’s good intentions were not rewarded however and the man produced a knife when he got into the car and demanded she drive back into St. Albert.
The woman drove them until they reached a business on the trail, north of Campbell Road when she fled her vehicle and the pair took off.
Police officers later learned that the car the pair had been in originally and which was involved in the accident, was reported stolen.
Patrycia Thenu, a spokesperson for the Edmonton police said officers put in a great deal of time investigating the case.
“Through almost three months of investigation officers were able to determine who was responsible and they were able to make an arrest.”
She said the RCMP found the Good Samaritan’s vehicle abandoned later that day.
Thenu said police also identified the female suspect, but have opted not to charge her.
“She was a suspect at the time, but she was not charged.”
A first appearance date had not been set as of press time.
