Man faces sex crime, animal cruelty charges

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This article was published 30/04/2025 (330 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A man facing sex crime charges is also charged with assaulting a police officer and cruelty to animals after he was arrested at a Winnipeg hotel.

Members of the Manitoba integrated high-risk sex offender unit — which is composed of members of the Winnipeg Police Service and RCMP — and other officers went to the hotel in the Niakwa neighbourhood to arrest the man on April 7. He was wanted on outstanding warrants.

The Free Press has confirmed the hotel was the Travelodge on Alpine Avenue.

Officers saw the man in the lobby with a large dog. He ran into a suite with the dog and tried to prevent police from entering, the WPS said in a news release Wednesday.

“Once police accessed the room, he attempted to grab a knife in his waistband. The dog then lunged at one of the officers, attempting to bite them,” the release said.

Members of the WPS tactical support team used “less-lethal munitions” on the man and the dog prior to arresting the man.

The man was taken to hospital, assessed and cleared. The dog was taken away by the city’s animal services agency and given medical attention.

Police spokeswoman Const. Dani McKinnon said she could not specify what kind of less-lethal devices officers used, adding officers could have shot either foam or beanbag-type rounds meant to temporarily incapacitate suspects.

Matthew Barry Stoesz, 42, was charged with sexual interference, breach of a prohibition order, failing to comply with an order or obligation, assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, resisting a peace officer, possession of a weapon and carrying a concealed weapon, prohibited device or ammunition.

One of the charges is related to Stoesz allegedly failing to register as a sex offender.

McKinnon said the arrest is an example of the vital work of the high-risk sex offender unit, which works with other justice officials to monitor certain convicted sex criminals in the community.

“Anytime we see the vulnerability of — whether it’s children, youth in general, a domestic partner and animals — exploited, it certainly speaks to the prolific nature of the offender and the need to protect those within our community,” she said.

Stoesz was detained in custody. Police said they later determined more offences between 2022 and 2025 involving a woman he was in a domestic relationship with and abuse to dogs and cats in the man’s possession.

Stoesz was arrested again Tuesday at the Headingley Correctional Centre and charged with sexual assault; forcible confinement; assault; assault causing bodily harm; assault by choking, suffocating or strangling; criminal harassment; harassing communications; identity fraud; fraud over $5,000; theft over $5,000; fail to comply with a prohibition regarding children and two counts of causing unnecessary pain/suffering to animals. He remains in custody.

Stoesz is accused of taking poor care of the pets, including by physically abusing them.

The dog that tried to bite police is not believed to be one of the animals that were allegedly abused.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca