Mounties reveal five arrests, charges, after May kidnapping in Penticton

PENTICTON, B.C. – RCMP in Penticton, B.C., are reporting the arrests of five men as officers put the finishing touches on a kidnapping investigation that began nearly four months ago.

Cpl. Dave Tyreman says John Szanto was arrested and charged with several offences, just hours after a Penticton man was found tied up and badly injured on a rural road near the south Okanagan city.

The arrest happened May 21, the same day as the alleged kidnapping, and Tyreman says a second suspect, Kerry Ellis, was picked the next day, followed by the arrest of Albert Fontaine in Abbotsford, B.C., on July 1.

All three remain in custody, charged with kidnapping, forcible confinement, and aggravated assault, while a fourth suspect, Carey Anderson, is also in custody after being picked up on a charge of choking.

Tyreman says the four are awaiting further court dates while a fifth man was arrested and released without being charged, although police say they are still checking his story.

The victim suffered a broken leg in the May abduction and a beating that investigators have called a targeted, isolated attack.