A special prosecutor has been appointed by the Criminal Justice Branch of the Ministry of Justice to oversee a home invasion case in Abbotsford. The victim in the case is the son of an MLA.
Ryan Plecas, son of new Abbotsford South MLA, and Secretary to the Justice Minister, Darryl Plecas, was at home on July 20 when the incident occurred.
At about 11 p.m. the 25-year-old Plecas opened the door to his apartment in the 3100 block of Gladwin Road when three masked suspects brandishing firearms pushed their way in and demanded that he turn over cash and guns from a safe inside the suite.
He complied with the request and then leaped from his second-storey balcony to escape.
Police were called after witnesses saw Plecas jump.
Four suspects – 19-year-old Samantha Patenaude, 23-year-old Jakob Mosterd, 31-year-old Dylan Majorel and 28-year-old Armand Belisle – have been arrested and charged by Abbotsford Police. All are charged with Robbery, Break and Enter and the Use of a Firearm in the Commission of an Offence.
MLA Darryl Plecas declined to comment on the case, noting it was going to go before the courts.
The decision to call in a special prosecutor was made to avoid the potential for any real or perceived conflict.
Joseph Doyle, a senior Vancouver lawyer, was appointed on July 23 to examine the case. His mandate is to:
- Conduct an independent charge assessment review of the existing charges and the investigative report prepared by the Abbotsford Police Department and making the charging decision he considers appropriate;
- Offer such legal advice to police as is necessary in the event that further investigation by them is required;
- Provide a written report to the Assistant Deputy Attorney General with the result of his review; and If he concludes that continuation of a prosecution is warranted, conducting the prosecution and any subsequent appeals.