'Unprecedented' reward offered in hunt for B.C. fugitive convicted of first-degree murder
The hunt for a B.C. fugitive convicted of first-degree murder in a brazen public shooting now includes a cash reward of up to a quarter of a million dollars.
Convicted killer Rabih Alkhalil, also known as Robbie, has been on the run since July after escaping from the North Fraser Pre-Trial Centre in Port Coquitlam.
Now the 35-year-old is at the top of a cross-Canada most wanted list with a reward of up to $250,000 for information leading to his arrest.
BC RCMP Deputy Comm. Dwayne McDonald called the reward “unprecedented” for the province.
“For most people, $250,000 would be life changing,” he said. “We don’t need your name, we don’t need your location. We just need to find him.”
When Alkhalil left the jail with the help of two suspects (who police said were either posing as, or working as contractors), he was on trial for the 2012 murder of Sandip Duhre. Duhre was gunned down at a restaurant in a busy downtown Vancouver hotel. Alkhalil has since been found guilty.
The white Ford Econoline van he escaped in has been found, but he remains at large.
Insp. Darren Carr with the Coquitlam RCMP said “the public is not safe until he’s brought back into custody”.
“The crimes that he’s committed are serious: multiple homicides, his involvement in organized crime,” Carr said. “We will capture him. It may take some time…we are confident we will find him.”
The reward is being promoted by the BOLO (or Be On the Lookout) program (link: https://www.boloprogram.org/), which uses social media and other technology to spread the word about wanted fugitives.
They have previously focussed on former UN gang member Conor D’Monte, who was arrested earlier this year in Puerto Rico, and Brandon Teixeira, who is charged with murder, and was arrested in California in 2019.
Now Alkhalil is in the same spotlight.
McDonald said it isn’t the first time the fugitive has evaded police.
“After orchestrating brazen murders in Vancouver and Toronto one decade ago, he fled to Greece,” McDonald said. “Where he was ultimately arrested and extradited to Canada. In 2017, he was convicted of murder in Toronto. In 2020, he was found guilty of significant drug trafficking in Quebec.”
McDonald said anyone who sees Alkhalil should not approach him, as he is considered dangerous and may be armed. Instead, he asked people to call police, 9-1-1, or CrimeStoppers.
McDonald also had a message for the 25 wanted fugitives on the list.
“Your world gets smaller,” he said. ‘Do the right thing for yourself, your family, for your community. Call a lawyer, call the police, and turn yourself in.”
OTHER B.C. CONNECTIONS
Other B.C. connections on the fugitives list include Amardip Singh Rai.42-year-old is sought by the Surrey RCMP after failing to appear for a court date. He currently has an outstanding warrant on a number of charges including sexual assault, confining a person without lawful authority, and two counts of assault with a weapon.
Creston man Oliver Ole Langelid is also on the list. The RCMP said the 71 year-old is accused of sexual interference of a person under 16 and sexual assault. He also failed to appear in court.
The Oceanside RCMP in Parksville are also looking for Quinten Anthony Meyer.27-year-old is facing charges related to a break and enter and sexual assault in Nanoose Bay this July, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
Video appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs beating singer Cassie in hotel hallway in 2016
Security video aired by CNN appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs physically assaulting singer Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016.
Scottie Scheffler isn't the first pro golfer to be arrested during a tournament
Scottie Scheffler's arrest hours before his second-round tee time at the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, will go down as one of the most shocking in professional golf history. It certainly wasn't the first, though.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta border: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
Anglers reel in 3.5-metre-long tiger shark off coast of Florida: 'She found my bait'
A group of fishers said it took roughly 20 minutes to reel in this 3.5-metre-long tiger shark off the coast of Florida.
Australia's richest woman seeks removal of her portrait from exhibition
Art is subjective. And while many artists long to share their work with the world, there's no guarantee that the audience will understand it, or even like it.
Canadian convicted of attacking Nancy Pelosi's husband with a hammer sentenced to 30 years
The man convicted of attempting to kidnap then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison.
Israeli military finds bodies of 3 Gaza hostages killed at music festival
Israeli military says its troops in Gaza found the bodies of three Israeli hostages taken by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack, including German-Israeli Shani Louk.