Medicine Hat Police have apprehended a man following a kidnapping on January 14, 2023. (Photo: CHAT News Today)

By Chris Brown

Medicine Hat man charged in connection to kidnapping

Jan 19, 2023 | 2:29 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – A Medicine Hat man has been charged with kidnapping a woman after she responded to an employment opportunity posted on social media.

According to the Medicine Hat Police Service, they responded to a call on Saturday, January 14, 2023, from a woman who reported she had been confined to a vehicle and driven into a secluded area against her will.

The woman was able to exit the vehicle she was travelling in with the accused as it slowed on Saamis Drive NW and called 911.

Police say officers responded immediately and found the woman walking in the same area. Based on the information provided by the woman, a suspect vehicle and the man accused were located a short time later.

The investigation revealed that the woman had arranged to be picked up by the accused in Medicine Hat after responding to a request posted by the accused on social media for house cleaning services.

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The man, who lives in Medicine Hat, and the complainant are not believed to have been known to one another before this incident.

After consultation with the Crown Prosecutor’s Office, Medicine Hat Police have charged Lester Landry, 65, with one count of kidnapping.

Landry has been released from custody and has been ordered to not be in contact with the victim.

He is scheduled to appear in Medicine Hat Provincial Court on February 28, 2023.

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