Charges have now been laid against a man and a women in relation to a bizarre case that involved forcible confinement of two women in a U-Haul van last week.
On Dec. 8, Delta Police announced that charges were sworn against 38-year-old Dustin Engels of no fixed address, who was charged with two counts of forcible confinement, two counts of assault, two counts of use of an imitation firearm, two counts of uttering threats and one count of robbery.
A 28-year-old woman, Morgan Thompson from Vancouver Island, has been charged with one count of robbery.
They both are set to appear in Surrey provincial court today (Dec. 12). Both remain in custody.
“The Delta Police want to emphasize that all people involved in this incident are known to each other,” said Acting Insp. James Sandberg. “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.”
DPD say just before noon on Dec. 7, officers were dispatched to the area of Highway 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,” said Sandberg. “She had escaped from the vehicle near Highway 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.”
Sandberg said officers 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 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,” said Sandberg.
