An Abbotsford man who was allegedly in a vehicle involved in a police pursuit in Chilliwack in May 2009 has been charged in connection to another pursuit in Langley on Friday, Feb. 4.
Michael Jacob Milligan, 30, has been remanded in custody and is next due to appear in Surrey provincial court on Feb. 17 for a bail hearing.
He has been charged with dangerous driving, possession of stolen property over $5,000 and possession of a controlled substance.
On Feb. 4, at about 2:20 p.m., a black Mercedes caught the attention of a Langley RCMP officer as it made a high-speed turn from 32 Avenue and headed north on 272 Street in Aldergrove. The vehicle had no front licence plate.
The officer caught up to the vehicle, and a check of the rear licence plate showed the car was stolen.
The Mercedes then travelled west on Highway 1 and exited at 232 Street, where the officer lost sight of it.
Mercedes Benz Canada called Langley RCMP to advise that they were tracking a black Mercedes on GPS as it drove through Langley. The vehicle had been stolen Jan. 30 from a residence in north Langley.
The Air 1 police helicopter was in the area and observed the vehicle being driven erratically, including abrupt U-turns, unexpected lane changes across three lanes of traffic, and hitting speeds up to 150 km/h.
At one point, the vehicle narrowly missed another car, forcing the motorist into the oncoming lane.
The Mercedes then entered the Willowbrook Mall parking lot, where two occupants exited the car and ran into the mall. The driver was seen removing some of his clothing. He then purchased and wore a new shirt.
Lower Mainland Police Dog Services found the driver in the mall and arrested him. They retrieved his discarded clothing from the garbage. Police were unable to locate the passenger.
Police found the suspect in possession of small bag of a substance believed to be methamphetamine.
Milligan has an extensive record, according to the provincial court database.
He is due to appear on June 14 in Chilliwack provincial court on two counts of possession of stolen property, relating to a police chase through Chilliwack in May 2009.
He is alleged to have been in a stolen GMC Yukon before a woman, Cassandra Rowell, allegedly rammed police vehicles and attempted to flee. She was shot by police and was sent to hospital, where she recovered.
Rowell was charged with several offences, but died in custody early last year from an undetermined cause. Another man involved in the incident, Tyler Cavan Suel, pleaded guilty in June and was sentenced to five years in jail for dangerous driving, flight from police and driving while disqualified.