News briefs for Friday, September 29, 2023

Teen girl abducted at knifepoint, sexually assaulted: police

9:15 AM

A teenage girl was abducted at knifepoint on Sunday evening in suburban west Winnipeg, before she was driven to another location and sexually assaulted repeatedly.

Winnipeg police patrol officers were called to the Spence neighbourhood, in central Winnipeg, about a reported abduction at about 11:40 p.m., where they found the teen.

She reported that while she was walking on the 3000 block of Portage Avenue, near the Sturgeon Creek neighbourhood, the previous evening, a man abducted her, police say.

She was sexually assaulted repeatedly over the course of several hours, police say, before she escaped and used a passerby’s cellphone to call for police.

Sex crimes investigators identified a suspect. Cory Lee Whalen, 40, has been charged with three counts of sexual assault with a weapon, sexual assault, assault with a weapon, kidnapping, administering a noxious thing, forcible confinement, and failing to comply with a probation order, among other offences. He’s been held in custody.

Man charged in Victor Street slaying

10:30 AM

Winnipeg police have arrested and charged a suspect after a 50-year-old woman was slain in Daniel McIntyre this week.

Police responded to reports of a suspicious incident in the 600 block of Victor Street on Thursday around 3:45 a.m. and found Delilah Lorelei Hudson seriously injured. She was later pronounced dead on scene.

Delaney George Bruyere, 46, is in police custody and charged with second-degree murder, the Winnipeg Police Service said in a release.

Anyone with video surveillance or information that may assist investigators is asked to call the homicide unit at 204-986-6508, Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477 (TIPS), or online at winnipegcrimestoppers.org

PCs promise to review criminal sentencing rules for violent offenders

11:44 AM

Drawing a direct connection between the provincial NDP and the federal Liberal government, the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives are pledging to hold an urgent federal-provincial summit to review criminal sentencing rules.

PC candidates Kelvin Goertzen and Rejeanne Caron made the announcement at PC headquarters Friday, urging voters “not to gamble on the NDP” and to support the PCs if they truly want to be tough on crime.

The NDP is scheduled to make an announcement later today.

RCMP trying to identify teen killed in Highway 15 collision

1:46 PM

Manitoba RCMP are trying to identify a teen girl who died after a pickup truck hit her on Highway 15 early Thursday morning.

Oakbank and Beausejour Mounties say it is possible the victim was already significantly injured prior to the collision, which occurred around 1:50 a.m. on the highway about six kilometres east of Dugald.

The pickup driver, a 31-year-old man from the RM of Whitemouth, called 911 after he hit an object while going eastbound, turned around and discovered the object was a person, RCMP say. He tried to give the victim first aid before the arrival of paramedics, who pronounced her dead at the scene.

An autopsy will confirm the girl’s cause of death.

Mounties say she was 5-6 in height with short black hair. She was around 14 or 15 years old, weighed about 100 lbs and was wearing a dark grey sweater, light grey sweat pants and black running shoes.

Mounties have asked anyone with information or who could help identify the victim to call the Oakbank detachment at 204-444-3391 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

Man shot at Main Street beer vendor

2:03 PM

A man in his 30s was shot at a Main Street beer vendor Thursday night, Winnipeg police say.

Patrol and tactical support officers raced to the vendor on the 800 block of Main Street at about 9:45 p.m., where they found the victim, police say.

Tactical officers secured the area and the victim was taken to hospital in unstable condition, police say.

Major crimes officers are investigating the incident and are looking for a male suspect.

Police have asked anyone with information on the suspect to call investigators at 204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477.

Police investigate downtown bomb call

2:15 PM

Winnipeg police are investigating after a small bomb made out of carbon dioxide canisters exploded on a downtown street Thursday morning.

Patrol and tactical support officers were called to the scene outside of a building on the first 100 block of Donald Street at about 9:30 a.m., police say.

A woman told officers there had been a “small explosion” from a container as she was walking on the block, police say. No one was hurt and nothing was damaged, but the bomb unit came to confirm there was no risk to the public.

Major crimes investigators, who don’t think the woman who saw the explosion had been targeted, are probing the incident.

Police have asked anyone with information on the incident to call investigators at 204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477.

Mounties, community find boy, 3, who wandered into cornfield

3:33 PM

RCMP and community members in the Rural Municipality of Stanley used a grid search, a drone and a police dog to find a missing three-year-old who had wandered into a cornfield on Wednesday night.

RCMP in Morden were called to a family property in Stanley at about 9:20 p.m., after family members had already searched for the missing boy for two hours. He had been playing with family and friends, who went into a tree line, while the boy went into a cornfield, police say.

Mounties called for the local fire department, the RCMP search and rescue team, a police dog unit and drone unit to come help. The teams, as well as civilians, began a row search of the 210-acre field, while Mounties checked outbuildings. The police dog went into the field to look for the boy’s scent.

The police drone found a heat signature from the air, which led searchers to the missing boy at about 12:40 a.m. on Thursday. He was not hurt physically, Mounties say, but paramedics assessed him.