'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
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.