Steinbach man charged in 2019 abduction

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This article was published 19/01/2023 (831 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A fingerprint ping in a national database has led RCMP to charge a Steinbach man with abducting a teenage girl at knifepoint near Landmark more than three years ago.

“The victim and the suspect were not known to each other, and this appears to have been a completely random kidnapping,” RCMP Insp. Tim Arseneault said last Thursday during a press conference at “D” Division headquarters in Winnipeg.

“The motivation is unclear. It almost seems to be a ‘wrong place, wrong time’ crime of opportunity.”

Hercules Nicholas Chief, 24, remains in custody following a Friday court appearance.

He is charged with kidnapping, assault with a weapon, theft of a motor vehicle, and two counts of possession of property obtained by crime in connection with the June 23, 2019 abduction, which occurred around 7 a.m. along Ste Anne’s Road south of Landmark.

A 16-year-old girl was walking her dog along the gravel road when a man driving a pickup truck stopped and offered her a ride. When she refused, he produced a knife and took her into the vehicle.

After driving about six kilometres, the truck slowed to make a turn and the girl managed to escape. She ran to the nearest house for help and was later treated for minor injuries.

RCMP patrolled the area with a K9 unit but couldn’t find the suspect or the truck. A sketch of the suspect and a description of the truck were released to the public.

Five days later, on June 28, RCMP found the pickup truck abandoned in a ditch in Steinbach. It had been stolen from Ile des Chenes on the same day as the kidnapping, but RCMP couldn’t link it to a suspect.

In February 2022, an unknown fingerprint collected during the initial investigation resulted in a national database match.

Arseneault said the fingerprint belonged to a witness, whose interview allowed investigators to gather more evidence and eventually identify a suspect.

Chief was arrested and charged on Jan. 10 of this year.

Arseneault said it was a long and at times “frustrating” investigation, not only for police but also for the victim and her family.

“She showed incredible courage escaping the vehicle…It is our hope that this arrest does bring a small amount of closure.”

Court records show Chief pleaded guilty to charges of assault and assault of a peace officer in September 2022. He received a 12-month conditional discharge.

His latest charges have not been proven in court.