Thieves face rocky road after giant ice-cream cone heist

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This article was published 08/08/2024 (783 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

RCMP in Carman are trying to get the scoop on two people accused of stealing a giant decorative ice-cream cone that was used as a prop in a Hallmark TV movie.

The “valuable” waffle cone, which is 1.5 metres tall, was taken from a business sometime between 8 p.m. on June 16 and 8 a.m. on June 17, said police.

“Hopefully, all this attention will help us get it back,” Manitoba RCMP spokeswoman Tara Seel told the Free Press.

“I don’t know why anyone would feel the need to walk away with a giant ice-cream cone.”

Police released surveillance video images of two hooded people who were described as suspects, as part of an appeal for tips to identify them and help solve the bizarre theft.

One image appears to show two people lifting the cone while standing on a sidewalk. A second image shows a person carrying the large prop under their right arm while walking away with the other person.

The images were released as part of the RCMP’s “wanted Wednesday” series on social media.

“I scream, you scheme, we all want to find the ice cream!” the RCMP post stated.

Seel said the cone was bought by a Carman business, after it was used as a prop during a movie shoot in the town, which is about 70 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg.

She said charges of theft and mischief are possible if and when suspects are arrested.

Jodi Winkler, executive director of the Carman Chamber of Commerce, said the cone was a prop for the Hallmark romantic comedy film Autumn at Apple Hill.

“The morning after the theft, I went to speak to the (film crew) and they told me the cone was stolen,” she said. “I hope they find their ice cream.”

Winkler said she was told the prop was taken after scenes were filmed on First Street Southwest in the town’s main business district.

The road was closed until about 9 p.m. on June 16, and the production company had security on site during filming, said Winkler.

She said Carman residents were likely unaware of the theft until police issued the appeal for information this week.

“People are kind of chuckling about it,” she said.

Manitoba RCMP shared the security camera images on Facebook and Instagram, where some people cracked jokes or made puns in the comments sections.

“While we appreciate the lighthearted banter we’re seeing on social media, at the same time this is someone’s property, and we are looking to get it back to them,” said Seel.

If it hasn’t been by now, Winkler would not be surprised if the cone is ditched somewhere, given the publicity and the fact it’s distinctive.

“I don’t think anybody had it in their basement,” she said.

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call the Morden RCMP detachment at 204-822-4476.

Autumn at Apple Hill is described as a movie of the week, produced by Hallmark and Manzana Pictures, on a local film shoot database run by ACTRA Manitoba, a union that represents workers in the performing arts. The website said filming took place between June 10 and 27.

The movie is an adaptation of the Angie Ellington novel of the same name.

The 2017 novel’s plot revolves around a budding romance between its main characters — a recently divorced woman who moved back to her hometown to run a bed and breakfast, and a guest who spent his childhood summers in the town.

The movie, which has not yet aired on Hallmark, stars Erin Cahill and Wes Brown.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca