From gas station theft to high-speed escapes: Two face massive charges after ‘crime sprees’ across Nova Scotia; check timeline

A man and a woman face numerous charges following a series of business thefts, a robbery, dangerous driving incidents, and a stolen vehicle investigation across the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) and southwest Nova Scotia, police announced in a news release. The Nova Scotia RCMP and Halifax Regional Police (HRP) arrested Nicole Adele Spence, 24, and Leslie Burton Gray, 33, both of Dartmouth, on August 19, 2026 in Falmouth following a multi-agency investigation.

Timeline of the Investigation

According to authorities, the investigation began on July 25 when RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment responded to a fuel theft at a gas station in Fall River involving a woman driving a Honda Civic. On July 28, HRP received a stolen vehicle report after a man and woman failed to return a borrowed Honda Civic taken on July 20.


Over subsequent weeks, police received reports of business thefts in Sackville, Fall River, Upper Tantallon, Bedford, Hubbards, and Greenwood, with investigators identifying a female suspect leaving in the stolen Civic in several instances, according to the news release


Officers attempted multiple arrests prior to the suspect pair's apprehension:

• August 10: An HRP officer located the Civic in Dartmouth and attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle fled northbound on Highway 118.
• August 11: East Hants District RCMP officers found the stolen Civic parked at a Rawdon Gold Mines store with a sleeping man and woman inside. Upon attempted arrest, the driver reversed into a cruiser and fled at high speed.
• August 14: During a robbery at a business on the 3600 block of Hammonds Plains Road in Upper Tantallon, an officer attempted to arrest the female suspect while merchandise was being loaded into the Civic. The woman fled in the car, nearly striking an employee.
• On August 19, officers from multiple RCMP units located and safely arrested Spence and Gray in the 2100 block of Highway 1 in Falmouth, police state. The stolen vehicle was recovered in the Windsor area.

Two suspects face several charges

Spence faces 17 charges, including robbery, resisting arrest, two counts of dangerous operation of a conveyance, two counts of flight from a police officer, theft of a motor vehicle, five counts of theft, four counts of possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000, and one count of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.

Gray faces four charges, including robbery, resisting arrest, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, and theft of a motor vehicle. Both accused appeared in Halifax Provincial Court on August 20. Spence was released on conditions with a court date set for August 27 in Dartmouth, while Gray remains in custody pending an August 25 appearance in Halifax.