Wildfire evacuees report gunpoint abduction of young woman

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/07/2022 (1459 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An alleged gunpoint abduction near a Winnipeg hotel has sparked fears wildfire evacuees are being targeted in the city.

A trio of displaced members of Mathias Colomb Cree Nation reported Friday they were threatened with a gun when they tried to intervene in the abduction of an unidentified young woman, vice-chief and councillor Shirley Castel said during a news conference with Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief Garrison Settee.

The three men in their 20s were walking outside a hotel on the 1400 block of Notre Dame Avenue around 5 a.m., when they encountered two men in a white Dodge Journey. The suspects knocked the woman unconscious and took her away in the vehicle, Castel said

One suspect, described as bearded, with white hair and 50-60 years old, allegedly threatened the group with a gun; a younger, tattooed man was also in the vehicle.

Settee said he spoke directly to Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth about the incident.

WPS confirmed police are investigating a “well-being check” that occurred in the area around 5:30 a.m. Friday.

“This is an ongoing investigation and, as such, we are unable to provide additional information,” spokesman Const. Claude Chancy stated in an email.

Castel said the three witnesses did not know the woman, only her name was “Ashley.” One was able to take a photo of the woman in the suspect vehicle, and reported the licence plate number to police.

Castel said it had not yet been determined if the woman is a member of the First Nation or a wildfire evacuee.

“We’re asking the general public out there to see if you can identify this young woman that was abducted, because our concern (is with) missing and murdered women in First Nations,” the band councillor said, asking any potential information be directed to police. “We need your help.”

Castel and Settee said the incident highlights safety concerns about the process of lodging displaced First Nations residents in city hotels.

Members of the community may be at risk because they’re used to being in an isolated, welcoming, small community, she said.

“Right now, it’s very stressful for us, due to the evacuation to have our community members scattered within multiple locations, including Winnipeg. We knew that there would be safety concerns, and I want to encourage our citizens that we need to watch out for one another,” Castel said.

The woman’s bag was left behind but it didn’t contain any identification, said Kaitlynn Brightnose, who works with Mathias Colomb’s emergency measures team.

She said community members have told her random vehicles have been pulling up to hotels, claiming to be taxis and offering displaced young people rides: “I feel like they’re being targeted because they’re very vulnerable.”

A spokesman for the Red Cross in Manitoba said it can’t comment on any criminal allegations, but did say hotels are full and the relief organization has opened up an additional shelter for wildfire evacuees.

“The Canadian Red Cross understands that the evacuated community members from Mathias Colomb Cree Nation have been through a traumatic experience. Being hundreds of kilometres from their homes and not knowing when they will return home is incredibly stressful. Our team wants to provide the best possible support to the community members while they are out of their homes,” spokesman Jason Small stated.

“Currently, there are about 2,000 community members evacuated from Mathias Colomb, in addition to more than 1,500 community members from Peguis First Nation who have been evacuated since May, due to flooding.”

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca