UPDATE: Armed man found in Penticton school facing several charges

UPDATE 12:15 p.m. Dec. 15, 2016

PENTICTON – Police have released the name of the man who used a shotgun to break into a Penticton school after he was involved in a domestic dispute last Sunday.

Yvon Martel, 59, of Penticton appeared in court on Monday, Dec. 12, Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth says in a release. Martel will remain in police custody until his upcoming court appearance on Dec. 28.

Wrigglesworth says Martel is facing charges of assault, uttering threats, break and enter, reckless discharge of a firearm and use of firearm with intent. 

10:50 a.m. Dec. 13, 2016 

PENTICTON – Police have a man in custody after he broke into a Penticton school by blasting a door with a shotgun following a domestic dispute on the weekend.

Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth says they received a call from Penticton Security at 5 a.m. on Sunday morning, Dec. 11, with report of a break and enter at Ecole Entre Lacs French immersion school, located at 1077 Nelson Ave.

Police arrived to find a man inside, smoking a cigarette, sitting beside a shotgun. Police arrested the man without incident.

Wrigglesworth says the man entered the school following a domestic dispute with his spouse, which took place at a nearby residence. Police discovered the weapon had been discharged twice inside the residence where a telephone, television and a portion of the wall was destroyed, and again at the school where the entrance door was struck.

The man was held for a court appearance.

The suspect has no connection to the school, other than living nearby, and no evidence he intended to harm anyone at the school, Wrigglesworth says.

– This story was updated on Thursday, Dec. 15 to include new information from the RCMP. 

– This story was corrected on Thursday, Dec. 15 to correct the date of the incident. 

To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.