Current Conditions: 6.9°C Mainly Sunny

Police search for violent offender who fled Vancouver halfway house

By Marshall Jones
June 03 2016 06:30 PM

VANCOUVER – Police are searching for a man they say is a high-risk offender who fled a Vancouver halfway home just a day after he was released from custody.

Const. Brian Montague with the Vancouver Police Department says James Benson is a two-time federal offender with a history of violence, including attempted murder and sexual assault with a weapon.

The 36-year-old was let out on mandatory release on Thursday under a long-term supervision order with several conditions.

A Canada-wide warrant for Benson's arrest has been issued.

Police say he has ties to both Calgary and Vancouver.

Montague says Vancouver police have previously warned the public about Benson, and anyone who knows his whereabouts or sees him is asked not to approach him and contact police immediately.

News from © iNFOnews.ca, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Report a Typo

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

Marshall Jones

News is best when it's local, relevant, timely and interesting. That's our focus every day.

We are on the ground in Penticton, Vernon, Kelowna and Kamloops to bring you the stories that matter most.

Marshall may call West Kelowna home, but after 16 years in local news and 14 in the Okanagan, he knows better than to tell readers in other communities what is "news' to them. He relies on resident reporters to reflect their own community priorities and needs. As the newsroom leader, his job is making those reporters better, ensuring accuracy, fairness and meeting the highest standards of journalism.