A Winnipeg man tried to run over two people in a stolen pickup truck, police say

Police believe a 29-year-old Winnipeg man tried to run over two people in a stolen truck last week when the suspect tried to set the vehicle on fire.

Winnipeg Police say they received reports of a vehicle that crashed into a street light around 5:00 p.m. Thursday and that two occupants attempted to set the interior on fire before one of the occupants fled on foot.

Police said the driver then entered a nearby store, entered a restricted area and stole two of the clerk's wallets.

“He continued to release the fire extinguisher inside the business before fleeing. No employees or patrons were injured,” WPS said in a statement.

Officers arrested the man after a “short foot chase” and seized a knife and lighter. According to WPS, the female passenger was detained “without incident” in an alley on Chancellor Drive.

Investigators say a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado was stolen May 12 from a home in Minnetonka. Police said he was involved in two other incidents during the week, including one that day.

That afternoon at 1:25 p.m., police allege the suspect entered the music store and was taken away by an employee after “working with some equipment.”

“The suspect entered the vehicle and collided with a parked vehicle as he was exiting the parking lot,” WPS said. “The suspect hid behind a pillar to avoid hitting the employee. The victim was not injured, and the suspect fled before the police arrived.”

Two days earlier, around 7 a.m. Tuesday, police said the suspect walked into a sports facility on Portage Avenue and was escorted out of the building by an employee.

“As the employee was returning to the driveway, the suspect entered the stolen vehicle and drove toward the employee, which required him to jump out of the way of the vehicle, narrowly avoiding injury. The suspect fled the area before police arrived,” WPS said.

Eric Ryan Moore is facing more than a dozen charges including assault with a weapon, arson, theft, vandalism, possession of a weapon, failure to stop at the scene of an accident and failure to comply with a probation order. He was imprisoned in a temporary detention facility.

In the latest incident, a 29-year-old passenger was charged with arson and possession of property obtained by crime. He was released on bond.