National

Charges laid in fatal Prince George motel blaze

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 20 Sep, 2021 12:47 PM

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. - Charges have been laid in connection with a fire that killed three people at a motel in Prince George, B.C.

RCMP say 35-year-old Justin Aster is charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and two arson-related offences.

Court documents show he is well known to police and made his first appearance at a court in Williams Lake on Friday, when he was ordered to remain in custody until his next date on Thursday.

Three people died in the fast-moving blaze at the Econo Lodge Motel on July 8, 2020.

Several guests of the downtown motel narrowly escaped when flames broke out just before 9 a.m.

Cpl. Jennifer Cooper called the deaths tragic and says officers are proud to have brought a suspect forward to the courts in connection with the fire.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine works in kids ages 5 to 11

With kids now back in school and the extra-contagious delta variant causing a huge jump in pediatric infections, many parents are anxiously awaiting vaccinations for their younger children.

Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine works in kids ages 5 to 11

Canadians heading to the polls to choose next federal government

Elections Canada says almost 6.8 million people voted early, most of them at advanced polls over a week ago, and the rest through special ballots cast by mail or at Elections Canada offices.

Canadians heading to the polls to choose next federal government

Family of Chantel Moore says time to renew focus

A video statement issued yesterday by Moore's family and police Chief Del Manak follows the assault on Manak one day earlier. A woman poured liquid on the chief as he was an invited guest at a memorial for Moore outside the British Columbia legislature.

Family of Chantel Moore says time to renew focus

Surrey RCMP takes the magic out of illicit mushroom grow-op

Once inside the residence, signs of illicit drug activity were noted and Surrey RCMP was called to assist. Frontline police officers attended and discovered what they believed to be a Psilocybin mushroom drug laboratory. A woman was arrested at the scene, and later released pending further investigation.

Surrey RCMP takes the magic out of illicit mushroom grow-op

UBC IMANT invests $120M in reduced carbon fund

The move follows $110 million in funding for a sustainable global opportunities strategy in March. UBC announced plans last year to divest the endowment of fossil fuel investments and a 45 per cent reduction of portfolio carbon emissions within 10 years.

UBC IMANT invests $120M in reduced carbon fund

Frontline officers seize fentanyl and firearms in Bear Creek neighborhood

Later the same day the officers executed the search warrant and located a number of items inside the residence including a 9mm Semi-Automatic Handgun; a fully automatic carbine rifle; ammunition; and 358 grams of suspected Fentanyl (approximately 3580 doses). The suspected fentanyl was packaged in a way that is consistent with street-level drug trafficking.