DRYDEN – A two-day manhunt has netted numerous charges for two Manitoba residents.
Dryden OPP issued a release on Saturday, stating that they have arrested and charged a man and woman following the two-day long investigation, which resulted in a stretch of Highway 17 east of the city being closed for a period of time on Friday.
Just before 11 a.m. on Thursday, members of the Dryden OPP say they saw a male exit a motor vehicle and steal a license plate from another vehicle.
Following the observance, police initiated a traffic stop on the subject vehicle; however, the driver allegedly fled from police at a high rate of speed in the vehicle.
An extensive day-long search for two suspects was subsequently initiated by members of the Dryden OPP, along with OPP specialty units.
Just after 6 a.m. on Friday, police received a report of a suspicious vehicle on Airport Road in the City of Dryden.
Police located the vehicle and attempted to initiate a traffic stop at which point the driver allegedly sped away at a high rate of speed, intentionally striking a marked police cruiser and causing significant damage.
The officers involved did not sustain any injuries as a result of the collision, the release said.
The suspects matched the description of those involved in the investigation the day before. Front line and specialty units began searching the area for the involved suspects.
Around 8 a.m. on Saturday, police received a report of a male and a female who had used a local taxi company the evening prior and did not pay their fare.
Subsequent police investigation revealed the suspects matched the description of the individuals police were actively searching for.
A 38-year-old Winnipeg man is facing 21 charges, including multiple counts of flight from peace officer, dangerous operation, theft and possession of property and proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000, as well as assault a peace officer with a weapon, failure to stop after accident, resist peace officer, and theft of a motor vehicle.
A 31-year-old woman from Morris, Manitoba, is facing nine charges including flight from peace officer, possession of property and proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000, assault a peace officer with a weapon, and motor vehicle theft.
Both were remanded into custody following a bail hearing on Saturday and are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Kenora on again on Sunday.
Police are asking residents of the areas of Airport Road/Highway 601, Barclay Hall Road, Meadows Road, Islandvue Road and surrounding areas during the time of this investigation to report any suspicious activity or unaccounted property to Dryden OPP and to check for any possible surveillance footage.
Police would also like to thank the members of the public who called in tips and sightings of the suspects throughout this investigation. "Your assistance was instrumental in the safe conclusion of this multi-day investigation. Keeping our communities safe is an ongoing partnership between police and the public, leading to better crime detection and prevention."
Members of the Dryden Ontario Provincial Police, with support from the OPP Northwest Region's crime unit, community street crime unit, canine unit and the OPP emergency response team were all involved in the investigation.
Police ask that anyone with additional information or surveillance footage relevant to this investigation contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or via Crime Stoppers.
It is Newswatch policy not to name people facing criminal accusations when we are unlikely to follow the case to its conclusion in the courts.
