Tyler Jack Newton, 29,stabbed 55-year-old Kelowna Flightcraft employee Caesar Rosales.

Image Credit: Facebook

KELOWNA - The Kelowna man who fatally stabbed Caesar Rosales on a city bus Oct. 30, 2014, was briefly re-released into the community this summer but is now back behind bars.

Tyler Newton was living in Kelowna this June, after getting a statutory release from prison. Within short order, he ran afoul of the conditions set out for him by the Parole Board of Canada and his freedom was suspended. While in custody again, he broke prison rules and at a recent parole board hearing his release was revoked.

Newton, 28, is serving a sentence of four years and six months for the manslaughter death of Rosales. Newton, who was high, stabbed Rosales in the neck Oct. 30, 2014, as he took the bus home from work. 

There was no provocation. Rosales, who worked at Flightcraft, had never met Newton before his fatal commute home.  On the other hand,Newton had a long history of criminal behaviour and drug abuse.

In the years since his arrest, the parole board said Newton showed some improvement, completed institutional programming but in a review of his case on March 30,  six special conditions were imposed on his upcoming statutory release.

Caesar Rosales, 55, was stabbed to death on a B.C. Transit bus in Kelowna on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014.

Image Credit: Facebook

These conditions included to: abstain from alcohol, abstain from drugs, avoid negative associates, follow a treatment plan, no contact with family members of his victim, and a  curfew at his residence.

Newton was returned to Kelowna on statutory release on June 24 and stayed with his brother for a few days.

Then he moved into a rooming house operated by an ex-girlfriend and her mother, where he immediately resumed an intimate relationship with the young woman.

“A urinalysis sample taken June 26, returned positive for illicit drugs on July 2,” reads the report, released today, Oct. 2. “ Given the direct link between your index offence and drug use, the CSC suspended your release.”

Then, during a post-suspension interview with his parole officer, he said he used crystal meth the day he was released. He said he did this because he believed he would not be tested for two weeks.

For a while, it looked as though Newton would regain his statutory freedom, but information at a recent parole board hearing turned that around.

His institutional parole officer said Newton had been a problem at least three times while in prison, one where he became verbally abusive and confrontational and physical handling was needed to control him.

On another occasion, he was observed with drugs.

Newton told the board that he had been incarcerated for a long time and had some anxieties associated with adjustment to community living, but the board said that did not excuse the poor decision making.

They said Newton’s “actions constitute breach of a special condition. They also constitute a return to crime cycle behaviour and elevated risk of reoffending.”

“It is disappointing that after the institutional programming, and the supports that were available in the community to assist you, you still resorted to crime cycle behaviour,” the board wrote, in a letter to Newton.

“It shows that more work is needed to address your drug addiction. This is critically important because you have shown that you are capable of extreme violence when using drugs. There can be no room in your future for recreational drug use or seemingly small relapses with any intoxicant.”

When looking at the recent failed release, the parole board said that this release would not be granted.

“This was a legislated statutory release and the board imposed special conditions to manage your risk in the community,” reads the report.

“Abstinence from drugs was one of the conditions. You were only in the community eight days, and in this time you violated this condition. You were then dishonest about this breach with your parole officer and others who care for you and support you. It is clear that you made some amends with your brother and that he wants to help you be successful.”

It is also concerning to the board that his behaviour has been problematic since returning on suspension.

“Even in this very controlled prison setting, and even with a post-suspension decision pending, you have been unable or unwilling to follow rules and cooperate with authorities,” reads the letter. …

“And it shows that you are not ready at this time for a safe return to the community…By your actions on your very brief release, the Board finds that your risk escalated and became undue and that the circumstances surrounding suspension were within your control.”

Newton will be released by law at his next statutory release date. The Board imposes special conditions on this release including the most restrictive condition of imposed residency.

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