Five suspects have been arrested following what one witness described as the “horrifying sight” of a man being hauled into a van near Brewers Row on Wednesday morning.
According to reporting from Global News, the victim had just left Innovative Fitness on Murray Street when assailants pulled him into the van.
A van started taking off with one of its doors open, according to Dave Cowieson, who posted about the incident on TikTok.
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After hearing witnesses yelling that a kidnapping was in progress, Cowieson says he used his vehicle to block the van’s path.
“As soon as I did, he drove up on the grass and took off,” Cowieson said.
He described the vehicle as a: “gold-coloured Dodge minivan, fairly new.”
The male hostage, a man in his 40s, was rescued in the Mission area, according to a release from Port Moody police. Several arrests were also made in the area, following a response from multiple police agencies.
Update
Five suspects are facing multiple charges in connection with the kidnapping, according to information released by the Port Moody Police Department.
The suspects are facing charges of: kidnapping, forcible confinement and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. Crown counsel approved the charges.
None of the charges have been proven in court.
The suspects are all in custody. There are no outstanding suspects, according to police.
Port Moody police and Vancouver Police Department investigators served multiple search warrants Monday morning in connection with the case.
Due to the “sensitive nature of the investigation,” police can’t share information about the case, according to the Port Moody Police Department.
“However there was never an ongoing danger to the public,” stated the department.
Witnesses told Global News they heard someone screaming for help and rushed outside in time to see someone with their feet hanging out of a van and being punched by two people in masks.
