2 Manitobans face total of 30 charges after 2-day manhunt near Dryden, Ont.
Driver fled police traffic stops twice, crashed into 1 cruiser
Two Manitobans are in police custody in northwestern Ontario following a two-day manhunt.
Ontario Provincial Police arrested and charged the two suspects following an investigation that resulted in a section of the Trans-Canada Highway east of Dryden being closed on Friday, according to a police news release.
Multiple other emergency response units assisted Ontario police with the investigation.
Officers from Dryden saw a man leave his vehicle and steal the license plate off another vehicle around 11 a.m. on Thursday, and initiated a traffic stop, the release said.
The driver fled at a high speed, prompting a lengthy police search for the man and the woman, who was a passenger in the vehicle.
After 6 a.m. Friday, police received a tip that a suspicious vehicle was on Airport Road in Dryden. Officers found the vehicle and the two people inside matched the description of the suspects from the chase on Thursday.
Police attempted to make another traffic stop, but the vehicle drove off at a high speed and intentionally hit a marked police vehicle and caused significant damage, per the release.
The officers in the vehicle were uninjured.
Two hours later, police received another report that a man and woman used a local taxi company and refused to pay their fare. Police investigation determined the suspects matched the description of the two individuals they were searching for.
A 38-year-old man from Winnipeg is facing a total of 21 charges, including two counts of assaulting an officer, two counts of dangerous operation, failing to stop after an accident and theft over $5,000 of a vehicle.
A 31-year-old woman from Morris is facing 9 total charges, including two counts of assaulting an officer.
Police are asking residents in areas east of Dryden during the time of the investigation to report any suspicious activity or unaccounted property, and to check for any possible surveillance footage.
Both suspects are expected to appear in court Monday in Kenora.