Close X
Sunday, November 10, 2024
ADVT 
National

Wanted sex offender Randall Hopley arrested in Vancouver, police say

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 14 Nov, 2023 10:44 AM
  • Wanted sex offender Randall Hopley arrested in Vancouver, police say

Vancouver police say the 10-day manhunt for high-risk sex offender Randall Hopley ended outside a police station when he was recognized and arrested by an off-duty officer.

Sgt. Steve Addison says the "intense focus" on Hopley's whereabouts led to his arrest this morning and police will make recommendations through Crown counsel that he be denied bail and remain in custody.

Addison says Hopley was captured outside the police station in the Downtown Eastside, not far from where he went missing.

Hopley walked away from his Vancouver halfway house on Nov. 4., and cut off his electronic monitoring device a short time later.

At the time, police said they believed the 58-year-old was worried about an upcoming court appearance and feared he would be returned to custody.

Hopley had completed a six-year prison term for the 2011 abduction of a three-year-old boy in southeastern B.C.

He was released in 2018 and was living at the halfway house under a 10-year long-term supervision order but was arrested in January for allegedly violating conditions of the order.

Addison told a news conference that there was "very real fear" in the community while Hopley was at large, and concern about the case had the potential to change the way such offenders are monitored.

He couldn't say whether Hopley was intending to turn himself in at the time of his arrest by the officer, who was in plain clothes.

"I'm not gonna speculate on what Randall Hopley's intentions were," Addison said, adding that "he likely ran out of options."

Addison said up to 25 full-time investigators worked the case while Hopley was at large, supported by dozens of other officers.

He said there were more than 80 tips from the public, involving a time-consuming checking process.

It was believed that Hopley had been travelling alone, Addison said, and may have been trying to change his appearance with "COVID-style masks" that he had on him when he was arrested.

Addison said police did not believe Hopley committed any new offences while at large.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Canada 'firm and steadfast' in call for two-state solution for Israel, Palestinians

Canada 'firm and steadfast' in call for two-state solution for Israel, Palestinians
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada remains "firm and steadfast" in its commitment to a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. He says the Middle East, and the world, needs both a Palestinian state and Israel to exist alongside each other in peace, safety and prosperity.

Canada 'firm and steadfast' in call for two-state solution for Israel, Palestinians

Trudeau says India's move against Canadian diplomats should concern the world

Trudeau says India's move against Canadian diplomats should concern the world
India's move to reduce the presence of Canadian diplomats in its country are "contrary to international law," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday, and the rest of the world should be concerned about its consequences. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Thursday that Canada had removed most of its diplomatic presence from India after New Delhi threatened to strip diplomatic immunities from them and their families.

Trudeau says India's move against Canadian diplomats should concern the world

Hit and run in North Vancouver

Hit and run in North Vancouver
Mounties in North Vancouver say they are looking for witnesses and footage as they investigate a hit-and-run that left a pedestrian with serious injuries on Wednesday night. North Vancouver R-C-M-P say they were called to the scene after passersby found a North Vancouver man in his late 40s lying injured on the road. 

Hit and run in North Vancouver

High school student arrested, knife found

High school student arrested, knife found
Police in New Westminster say a student at a city high school was arrested Wednesday after being found in possession of a knife. Police say an officer was at New Westminster Secondary on Wednesday morning for an unrelated reason, and told there was a student with a knife who was causing a disturbance. 

High school student arrested, knife found

RCMP tells owners to turn in guns after banned fully automatic model sold in Canada

RCMP tells owners to turn in guns after banned fully automatic model sold in Canada
The RCMP has told owners to turn in what the force is calling fully automatic military surplus firearms after hundreds were misidentified and allowed into Canada for commercial sale. The Mounties say the registrar of firearms immediately froze records relating to the 245 prohibited guns upon discovery of the issue to prevent further sale or transfer of the firearms.  

RCMP tells owners to turn in guns after banned fully automatic model sold in Canada

Police involved shooting in West Kelowna

Police involved shooting in West Kelowna
The Independent Investigations Office is investigating a police-involved shooting in West Kelowna this afternoon where one man was injured.  The R-C-M-P says police were responding to reports of gunshots and a man with a weapon in a vehicle.

Police involved shooting in West Kelowna