Man accused in random kidnapping has criminal past

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This article was published 15/05/2023 (885 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A 34-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a woman after abducting her from a northern Manitoba highway had been charged with sexually abusing a child in 2019, court records show.

Following his arrest May 13, RCMP in The Pas are exploring the man’s background and other incidents that have been reported to police.

“This investigation is ongoing, but as a matter of course, police will look into the history of a suspect and any other ongoing investigations,” RCMP spokeswoman Tara Seel wrote in an email.

The man was charged with sexual interference of a girl under 16 after allegations were reported to the RCMP last fall.

The date of the alleged offence was in August 2019.

The girl’s mother, who cannot be named to protect her daughter’s identity, told the Free Press the latest allegations have heightened her concern about the safety of women and girls in and around the northern community.

“It’s getting worse,” she said.

RCMP said officers were notified shortly before noon on May 13 that a stranger had abducted a 24-year-old woman on Highway 10 near The Pas.

Investigators believe it was a random kidnapping.

“At this time, all indications are that they were unknown to each other,” Seel wrote.

Police would not reveal who alerted officers or how they were alerted.

Officers set up roadblocks in Manitoba and Saskatchewan as they scoured the area for the kidnapper and the woman.

Investigators determined the identity of the suspect and obtained a description of a vehicle, a grey Honda Civic, said police.

“The investigation also produced a possible location of where he may be bringing the abducted female,” RCMP said in a news release.

Shortly after 1 p.m., officers arrived at a cabin, which was associated with the man, on the Red Deer River, about 135 kilometres south of The Pas.

The Civic was parked outside, said police.

After seeing the abducted woman at a window, officers went inside and “quickly and safely” rescued her, the RCMP said.

The man was arrested at the scene.

In the news release, Manitoba RCMP north district Staff Sgt. Jonathan Greer said officers worked “rapidly” to locate the pair.

He said supports are being provided to the victim.

Seel said assistance is offered through the RCMP and the province’s victim services units.

Community supports are also available, she said.

Armand Jeremy Thrones, a resident of Red Deer River, was charged with sexual assault, forcible confinement, assault while choking, uttering threats and failing to comply with an undertaking, said RCMP.

His name wasn’t included in the RCMP’s initial news release Saturday because he hadn’t been formally charged.

Police announced his name and the charges Monday. He remained in custody.

A former partner was granted an order against Thrones in February, as per the Court of King’s Bench’s online registry.

The order expires in February 2026.

Thrones has convictions for assault causing bodily harm, drug possession and failing to comply with a recognizance, his court records show.

He is a father and he has or had a cabin on the Red Deer River just off Highway 10, according to two people who know him.

Thrones works or worked at a Ford auto dealership in The Pas.

The dealership’s website listed him as a service technician.

A manager declined to comment.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @chriskitching