POLICE – Suspects in custody after incidents at two local motels

A man wanted in connection to an Aug. 3 robbery was captured today (Oct. 4, 2021) at a Columbia Street motel.

Tristan Fernandez, 25, was taken into custody with the help of a police service dog at the conclusion of a two-and-a-half-hour waiting game outside the Canada’s Best Value Inn and Suites. He’s being held awaiting a court appearance.

It began when a Kamloops RCMP officer saw a man enter the motel about 9 a.m. Police set up a perimeter around the motel and an attached restaurant was evacuated.

Fernandez was wanted on a recently issued warrant following an investigation into a robbery Aug. 3 near the 1300 block of Battle Street.

While this was going on, an incident at the Motel 6 on Valleyview Drive also drew police attention. An ERT unit responded and reports said three men were led away by police at about noon.

A nearby daycare was put under hold and secure as a precaution. The incident ended about 3:30 p.m.

The incident at the Columbia Street West motel came about in connection to an August robbery on the 1300-block of Battle Street involving a stolen blue van.

The van hit multiple vehicles while fleeing the scene.

Shortly after, the vehicle was located on fire in Riverside Park. Kamloops Fire and Rescue helped extinguish the flames.

Two suspects were located near the washrooms and taken into custody, while a third was arrested soon after near the Overlander Bridge.