By Sarah Klein
A 14-year-old Winnipeg boy is home safe after being kidnapped and held for ransom by a family friend.
Police say the boy’s family reported their son missing over the weekend, saying there was a possibility he had been kidnapped.
The boy met with the suspect a day prior, who convinced him he was a Winnipeg police officer investigating an assault. The victim was taken to a local hotel and told he was a suspect in the bogus assault investigation and that staying at the hotel would help to avoid going to jail. A replica pellet handgun was also shown to the boy, further convincing him that he was being held by a police officer.
The man then returned to the boy’s home with an anonymous note requesting that a ransom be paid or their son would be harmed.
On Sunday, Harpreet Singh Kanda, 19, was located and arrested.
He remains in custody and is facing charges of impersonating a police officer, extortion, kidnapping using a firearm, possession of a weapon, and carrying a concealed weapon.
