Update - Forcible Confinement Investigation
Update to Release Regarding Forcible Confinement Investigation:
On December 8th, 2022, charges were sworn related to this incident.
A 38-year-old man, Dustin Engels, has been charged with:
2 counts of forcible confinement;
2 counts of assault;
2 counts of use of an imitation firearm;
2 counts of uttering threats; and
1 count of robbery.
A 28-year-old woman, Morgan Thompson, has been charged with:
1 count of robbery.
The Delta Police want to emphasize that all people involved in this incident are known to each other. This incident was not a random incident and did not place the general public in any harm. This incident occurred as a result of conflict between known parties.
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Original Release December 8th, 2022:
On December 7th, 2022, just before noon, the Delta Police Department was dispatched to the area of Hwy 17 and Ladner Trunk Road for a report of a distraught person. Upon arrival, officers learned that a 21-year-old woman had been assaulted, robbed of her money, and forcibly confined in a U-Haul van. She had escaped from the vehicle near Hwy 17 and Ladner Trunk Road. Officers also learned that another woman was forcibly confined in the van. It was determined early in the investigation that all of the occupants knew each other.
The DPD took immediate action to locate the other remaining victim, who was in the U-Haul van and allegedly being forcibly confined by a male and female suspect. This included notifying other police agencies in surrounding jurisdictions. The investigation resulted in the Langley RCMP locating the van in the Aldergrove area and arresting two occupants. The second victim was located unharmed.
The investigation is ongoing. A report to Crown Counsel has been submitted recommending several charges, including forcible confinement and assault. The two suspects arrested have not yet made a court appearance. They remain in custody, awaiting their first appearance. The identities of the suspects will not be released until charges have been approved by the Crown.
The Delta Police Department wishes to thank our partners from the Langley RCMP, the Lower Mainland Integrated Emergency Response Team, and Air 1, for their assistance in locating the second victim and arresting the suspects in this investigation.