Five arrests have been made stemming from a kidnapping incident which took place near Penticton in May of this year.
(STEVE ARSTAD / iNFOnews.ca)
September 16, 2015 - 9:27 AM
PENTICTON - A May 2015 kidnappping of a Penticton man has resulted in five arrests by Penticton RCMP.
On May 21, a Penticton man was found in the ditch on Shingle Creek Road west of Penticton suffering from a broken leg and in hand restraints after having been kidnapped and beaten.
The police have always believed the abduction and assault to have been a targeted, isolated incident. A task force made up of the Penticton General Investigation Section, Crime Reduction Unit, Drug Task Force and the Forensic Identification Section were assigned to investigate the incident.
Four suspects were identified early in the investigation, resulting in the arrest of John Szanto for kidnapping, forcible confinement and aggravated assault. Warrants on similar charges were issued for Kerry Ellis and Albert Fontaine.
Ellis was subsequently arrested in Summerland on May 22, while Albert Fontaine was apprehended in Abbotsford on July 1.
A fourth person, Carey Anderson, was arrested in Osoyoos on Aug. 28 on a warrant charging him with the same charges in addition to choking.
All four men are in custody. A fifth man was arrested and later released without charge as the investigation continues.
Police continue to seek information from the public about the incident.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015