Penticton kidnapping incident results in five arrests | iNFOnews.ca
Five arrests have been made stemming from a kidnapping incident which took place near Penticton in May of this year. Steve Arstad

Penticton kidnapping incident results in five arrests

PENTICTON – A May 2015 kidnappping of a Penticton man has resulted in five arrests by Penticton RCMP.

On May 21, a Penticton man was found in the ditch on Shingle Creek Road west of Penticton suffering from a broken leg and in hand restraints after having been kidnapped and beaten.

The police have always believed the abduction and assault to have been a targeted, isolated incident. A task force made up of the Penticton General Investigation Section, Crime Reduction Unit, Drug Task Force and the Forensic Identification Section were assigned to investigate the incident.

Four suspects were identified early in the investigation, resulting in the arrest of John Szanto for kidnapping, forcible confinement and aggravated assault. Warrants on similar charges were issued for Kerry Ellis and Albert Fontaine.

Ellis was subsequently arrested in Summerland on May 22, while Albert Fontaine was apprehended in Abbotsford on July 1.

A fourth person, Carey Anderson, was arrested in Osoyoos on Aug. 28 on a warrant charging him with the same charges in addition to choking.

All four men are in custody. A fifth man was arrested and later released without charge as the investigation continues.

Police continue to seek information from the public about the incident.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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