Ottawa man charged in phony kidnapping
Posted Jul 5, 2016 08:30:07 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
NORTH BAY, Ont. — An Ottawa man has been arrested and charged in North Bay after an overnight kidnapping incident that turned out to be fake.
Police in North Bay say they got a 911 call from a man who claimed to have been driven to that city after being kidnapped at gunpoint in the Ottawa area. The alleged victim’s name and vehicle description were given, then he screamed and the call was lost.
The man had been reported missing after failing to show up for work in Ottawa on Monday.
Police used cell phone triangulation to locate the man in the west end of North Bay.
“It was a real drain on our resources, along with the resources for the Ontario Provincial Police,” said Acting Sgt. Peter Brunette, North Bay Police.
“We had the OPP Canine Unit, as well as members of our Emergency Response Team, and members of the Ontario Provincial Police Response Team in the area, searching,” said Brunette.
Nipissing University, the North Bay Regional Health Centre and the OPP District Headquarters were put on lock-down during the incident.
The man was found around 3 a.m. and arrested near the hospital, with the investigation revealing the allegations were false.
Howard Sonnenburg, 49, of Ottawa is now charged with public mischief and obstruct police. He was held in custody for a bail hearing.
— with files from 600 CKAT
