A 7-year-old boy abducted from a summer camp Wednesday morning in Metchosin is safe and unharmed.
In a media release, West Shore RCMP said the boy was taken at around 8:30 a.m. from a summer camp at Pearson College.
The man, unknown to the staff and not on the approved pick-up list, was trying to leave with the boy in a silver SUV.
Police said multiple staff attempted to stop the man, one even used their vehicle to try and block him from leaving the college, but he drove away.
West Shore RCMP officers flooded the area quickly and were able to locate the vehicle nearby after receiving a separate report of a suspicious occurrence.
With help from an RCMP Emergency Response Team member, officers arrested the man and secured the young boy, who was returned to his guardians.
“We wish to commend the staff at the summer camp and nearby residents for their quick actions and reporting,” said S/Sgt. Raj Sandhu, Operations Commander at the West Shore RCMP.
“This enabled our officers to respond quickly and appropriately, leading us to the best case outcome, the safe and immediate recovery of the child and the arrest of the suspect.”
The suspect, a 46-year-old Sooke resident, is not a parent of the child but is known to him.
He remains in police custody and is facing an abduction charge.
