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Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Hotel owner traps intruder in cooler, calls police

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 12/20/2011 4:03 PM | Last Modified: 12/20/2011 4:14 PM | Updates

Douglas Roman Joseph Daciuk (HANDOUT)

The owner of a Minnedosa hotel took the expression, "lock him up in the cooler" literally.

The RCMP report that the owner of the Valley Motor Lodge interrupted a break and enter early Monday morning, when he found two men inside the hotel just before 5 a.m., near the beer cooler.

The owner got into a shoving match with the two men and was able to force one of them into the beer cooler and locked it, trapping him inside.

The other man apologized to the owner and fled.

When police arrived, a review of the hotel’s security video revealed that four men had been involved in the break-in.

Police have arrested three men, including the man trapped in the cooler, and have issued a warrant for a fourth man.

Charged with break and enter are: Jerry George Allan Rule, 21, of Yorkton, David John Donald Switzer, 21, of Shoal Lake, and Darwin Scott Brazeau, 20 of Brandon.

Police have issued a warrant for a fourth suspect, Douglas Roman Joseph Daciuk, 23, of Brandon. He is described as a white male, 5’6" in height, weighing 148 pounds, with light brown hair and blue eyes.