A trio of incidents kept officers with the Altona Police Service busy during the holidays. 

One case has police investigating a residential break and enter that saw the theft of a high-powered rifle. The crime was discovered Sunday when the homeowner returned after being being away for several days. 

The homeowner is recently widowed and was unable to give police an accurate description of the missing firearm as it had belonged to her late husband, however believed it to be a 30/30 rifle.  

Also stolen was a number of household items and jewelry. 

Police believe this incident is related to the break-in at the local Canada Post Office just two days earlier where culprits broke into a 5 mailboxes and attempted to crack open nearly another dozen. 

Residents are being reminded to properly secure firearms and ammunition in a locked case with a trigger lock on the weapon.

Anyone with information related to these crimes is asked to contact the Altona Police Service at 204-324-5353, or Manitoba Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8467.

Second, a 19 year old man from Ste. Anne is facing a handful of charges after Altona police officers witnessed him attempting to leave the scene of an accident. 

The incident happened Friday, December 28 when officers on patrol drove past the local bar and observed a vehicle backing out of a parking stall and into a parked SUV. Police tried to pull the vehicle over as it appeared to drive away from the collision, however the driver sped away and eventually came to a stop a few blocks away. 

The driver has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident, impaired driving, driving over .08, and flight from police. He was released on a promise to appear at a future court date in Altona.

Finally, a 16 year old female is back at her Winnipeg group home after finding her way to Altona.

Around 4 am Sunday, local police were notified that the missing teen hadn't returned and was now texting people at the group home that she was in Altona with nowhere to go. In those texts, she indicated that she would start walking the over 100 km trek back home - with temperatures dipping below -30 at the time. 

Police began to search for the teen and eventually found her walking on 1st Street SW. 

She has since been returned home. 

Police records show the youth has been reporting missing 191 times since 2014, mostly in southwest Manitoba.