By Brian Schultz
A 37-year-old Winnipeg man is in police custody after leading officers on a high-speed chase in a stolen Cadillac Escalade last Friday.
Police noticed the stolen vehicle the morning of July 27 in the area of Furby Street between Sargent Avenue and Ellice Avenue. When they tried to pull it over, the driver drove up on the westbound boulevard while travelling south at speeds upwards of 100 km/h.
Police say the vehicle hit six fences and nearly hit a 25-year-old woman entering her yard. The Escalade — reported stolen July 25 — eventually struck a business at the corner of Ellice Avenue and Furby Street, where it almost flipped on its side. Police say the vehicle missed colliding with their cruiser, but not before it crashed into an apartment building at the south corner of the same intersection.
Justin Raymond Wiszniowski faces numerous charges, including drug possession, flight from police, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, driving while disqualified and theft of a motor vehicle. Wiszniowski was also the subject of a Canada-wide warrant issued July 5.
Police found $600 in cash on the suspect, and 45 grams of methamphetamine and two cell phones in the Escalade.
A 29-year-old pregnant woman riding in the passenger seat was taken to hospital in stable condition. She was charged with drug offences and later released.
More than $11,000 in property damage was reported, according to police.
Later the same day, officers attempted to execute a search warrant at a home in the 300 block of Boyd Avenue. They used gas canisters to try and evacuate the home of several occupants, but had to wait overnight before entering due to the heavy presence of gas.
One male and one female exited over the span of several hours with the help of the K9 unit.
Police eventually located a magazine and shotgun shell inside on Saturday morning.
