A Winnipeg man is safe after an alleged abduction sparked a cross-border search that ended in Minnesota on Saturday.
According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol, authorities were alerted on Aug. 15 to a possible abduction in Manitoba that had crossed the Canada-U.S. border into North Dakota.
The patrol said a 31-year-old Manitoba man had reportedly abducted a 37-year-old man in Winnipeg. The names of the suspect and victim have not been released.
Law enforcement agencies worked to narrow down the search area after the suspect vehicle was identified on cameras at several locations, providing investigators with information about its direction of travel.
Police eventually located the vehicle in Alexandria, Minn., using cell phone location information, messages to family and friends, and licence plate reader technology, according to the highway patrol.
Alexandria is approximately 150 kilometres southeast of Fargo along Interstate 94.
The highway patrol said the victim was able to escape from the suspect and run into a nearby store.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Alexandria Police Department took the suspect into custody shortly afterward. The victim was recovered safely.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol said local, state, federal, and Canadian law enforcement agencies worked together during the search.
The incident remains under investigation, and authorities said no additional details were available.
We’ve reached out to the Winnipeg Police Service and Manitoba RCMP for more information.