A 47-year-old man from the Pelican Lake First Nation is in custody facing a slate of charges in connection with a bizarre case of alleged vigilante justice at a car wash on the northern Saskatchewan reserve.
Francis Hernandez is scheduled for a bail hearing in North Battleford on April 20.
Hernandez and a second Pelican Lake man, 27-year-old Larry Lee Thomas, were initially arrested March 8 by Spiritwood RCMP and charged with forcible confinement, assault, uttering threats and overcoming resistance to the commission of an indictable offence in connection with a March 7 incident at the car wash.
The complainant in that case was a 23year-old man from the nearby Witchekan Lake First Nation.
Two more complainants, both males under the age of 18, subsequently came forward to police with information about a previous incident that took place at the same location in late February -which recently led to further charges, Spiritwood RCMP confirmed Wednesday.
In an interview with CBC News, Crown prosecutor Mitch Piche said Hernandez and at least one accomplice are alleged to have lured the complainants -people he believed were responsible for a break-in at his home -to a car wash at a Pelican Lake strip mall where he works as manager.
The teens allege they were tied up and secured to a metal dolly inside the car wash before Hernandez pulled down their pants, soaked them with water and attached booster cables to their genitals, according to Piche.
Hernandez is also accused of taking photos of the youths in that condition and offering to give the pictures back once his stolen property was returned, Piche said.
Spiritwood RCMP said the case is still under investigation.
It gets more bizarre.....
Police lay more charges in bizarre car wash attacks
The StarPhoenix; Postmedia NewsApril 8, 2011
Spiritwood RCMP released more information Thursday about recent criminal charges laid in connection with bizarre attacks at a car wash on the Pelican Lake First Nation.
Two men --Pelican Lake residents Francis Hernandez, 47, and Larry Lee Thomas, 27, were charged in March with forcible confinement, assault, uttering threats and overcoming resistance to the commission of an indictable offence in connection with a March 7 incident at a strip mall in Pelican Lake.
The victim was a 23-year-old man from Witchekan Lake.
Two more victims -males 14 and 16 -came forward to police, who laid more charges.
Hernandez and Thomas are now each charged with two counts of sexual assault with a weapon, three counts of assault, three counts of unlawful confinement, two counts of exposing obscene matter, two counts of assault with a weapon, three counts of uttering threats, and one count of overcoming resistance.
A woman from Pelican Lake, Manon Boisvert, 39, is also facing a charge of unlawful confinement.
Thomas is due to appear in North Battleford provincial court for a bail hearing today, and Hernandez is scheduled for a bail hearing April 20. Boisvert is expected to appear in Spiritwood provincial court April 26.
RCMP have refused to provide details of the incidents.
In a media interview earlier this week, Crown prosecutor Mitch Piche said Hernandez is alleged to have lured the victims to a car wash at the strip mall where he worked, with help of others, because he believed they had broken into his home.
Piche said the 27-year-old said he was beaten, tied up and threatened before he managed to free himself and escape.
In an earlier incident, the teens say they were lured to the same place, overpowered and tied to a metal dolly before their pants were pulled down, they were soaked with water and booster cables were attached to their genitals, according to Piche.
Photos were taken and the youths were told they could have the pictures back when the stolen property was returned, Piche has said.
Francis Hernandez is scheduled for a bail hearing in North Battleford on April 20.
Hernandez and a second Pelican Lake man, 27-year-old Larry Lee Thomas, were initially arrested March 8 by Spiritwood RCMP and charged with forcible confinement, assault, uttering threats and overcoming resistance to the commission of an indictable offence in connection with a March 7 incident at the car wash.
The complainant in that case was a 23year-old man from the nearby Witchekan Lake First Nation.
Two more complainants, both males under the age of 18, subsequently came forward to police with information about a previous incident that took place at the same location in late February -which recently led to further charges, Spiritwood RCMP confirmed Wednesday.
In an interview with CBC News, Crown prosecutor Mitch Piche said Hernandez and at least one accomplice are alleged to have lured the complainants -people he believed were responsible for a break-in at his home -to a car wash at a Pelican Lake strip mall where he works as manager.
The teens allege they were tied up and secured to a metal dolly inside the car wash before Hernandez pulled down their pants, soaked them with water and attached booster cables to their genitals, according to Piche.
Hernandez is also accused of taking photos of the youths in that condition and offering to give the pictures back once his stolen property was returned, Piche said.
Spiritwood RCMP said the case is still under investigation.
It gets more bizarre.....
Police lay more charges in bizarre car wash attacks
The StarPhoenix; Postmedia NewsApril 8, 2011
Spiritwood RCMP released more information Thursday about recent criminal charges laid in connection with bizarre attacks at a car wash on the Pelican Lake First Nation.
Two men --Pelican Lake residents Francis Hernandez, 47, and Larry Lee Thomas, 27, were charged in March with forcible confinement, assault, uttering threats and overcoming resistance to the commission of an indictable offence in connection with a March 7 incident at a strip mall in Pelican Lake.
The victim was a 23-year-old man from Witchekan Lake.
Two more victims -males 14 and 16 -came forward to police, who laid more charges.
Hernandez and Thomas are now each charged with two counts of sexual assault with a weapon, three counts of assault, three counts of unlawful confinement, two counts of exposing obscene matter, two counts of assault with a weapon, three counts of uttering threats, and one count of overcoming resistance.
A woman from Pelican Lake, Manon Boisvert, 39, is also facing a charge of unlawful confinement.
Thomas is due to appear in North Battleford provincial court for a bail hearing today, and Hernandez is scheduled for a bail hearing April 20. Boisvert is expected to appear in Spiritwood provincial court April 26.
RCMP have refused to provide details of the incidents.
In a media interview earlier this week, Crown prosecutor Mitch Piche said Hernandez is alleged to have lured the victims to a car wash at the strip mall where he worked, with help of others, because he believed they had broken into his home.
Piche said the 27-year-old said he was beaten, tied up and threatened before he managed to free himself and escape.
In an earlier incident, the teens say they were lured to the same place, overpowered and tied to a metal dolly before their pants were pulled down, they were soaked with water and booster cables were attached to their genitals, according to Piche.
Photos were taken and the youths were told they could have the pictures back when the stolen property was returned, Piche has said.