POLICE – RCMP release details of alleged robbery, kidnapping

Kamloops RCMP today (Friday, Feb. 15, 2019) released the following statement with respect to police activity in Dallas and elsewhere on Thursday.

Early on the morning of Feb. 14, 2019 in downtown Kamloops, three individuals, two men and a woman, were robbed by two men armed with firearms. After the robbery, police believed the suspects took the woman against her will in one of the other victim’s vehicles.

Through subsequent investigation it was learned that the suspects may attend a residence on Dallas Drive. Officers secured the area and ultimately determined that the home had been ransacked and now was empty. The temporary cordon on Dallas Drive was removed allowing traffic to the area to resume.

The victim’s stolen vehicle was later located empty in an area near Barnhartvale Road and Hwy 97.

Further investigation led police to an address in Kelowna. Officers of the Kamloops RCMP, Kelowna RCMP and Southeast District Emergency Response Team converged on an apartment building on Bernard Avenue. Unfortunately, the victim was not located at this address but one of the robbery suspects was arrested.

This morning, February 15th, police determined that the captive woman could be in a vehicle travelling from Kelowna to Kamloops. This vehicle was stopped by police near Faulkland. Officers arrested a male and a female suspect and located the kidnapped female. Thankfully, the woman was uninjured. Firearms were also seized from this vehicle.

Kamloops RCMP thank the media and the community for their patience during this ongoing and fluid investigation. We are committed the safety of the community and would have communicated any immediate public safety concerns, however the situation was dynamic and unfolding. While the investigation was ongoing, what may have been perceived as lack of communication, was a measured, operational strategy.

“First and foremost, our concern was for the woman who had been kidnapped,” stated Cpl. Jodi Shelkie. “The danger that she was in cannot be overemphasized. Officers knew that the suspects were armed. It was unknown what their intent was regarding her life. Few details could be released to the media to protect our investigation and ultimately, help get this woman back to safety.”

The investigation is still ongoing and police are working to identify and locate the second suspect involved in the robbery. It is clear this was a targeted crime and involved participants in the local Kamloops drug trade.

All investigative information will be forwarded to the British Columbia Prosecution Service for consideration of appropriate charges. Numerous serious charges are expected against the suspect arrested in Kelowna.