Jury hears details of arrest of man accused in Eduardo Balaquit’s disappearance

A detective with the Winnipeg Police Service recounted the night officers first arrested 36-year-old Kyle Alexander Pietz in their investigation into the June 2018 disappearance of 59-year-old Eduardo Balaquit.

Pietz has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and is presumed innocent. His trial is being heard by a Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench jury.

Sgt. John Scott Taylor, who worked in the homicide unit from 2014 to 2019, testified Pietz was arrested on the night of June 5, 2018, after he agreed to speak with officers.

Taylor told the court police had information from witnesses Pietz was seen in the area of Westcon Equipment, where Balaquit had gone to work on the evening of June 4, 2018, and where his van was found with a smashed-out passenger side window after his disappearance.

Court has previously heard a different man, 30-year-old Leslie Walker, admitted to smashing the window, taking Balaquit’s wallet and attempting to use some of his bank cards. Jurors heard police didn’t consider Walker a suspect in Balaquit’s disappearance.

Taylor told the court investigators first spoke with Pietz about Balaquit in an unmarked police cruiser car outside Pietz’s home the day after Balaquit’s disappearance.

“He indicated he saw Eddie yesterday at Westcon and went to get some boxes to pack up his kids’ toys,” Taylor told the court. “He said Eddie would get him some boxes and he went to the back shipping door.”

“He said he sat in his car and played on his phone while Eddie went and got these boxes.”

Taylor testified Pietz told investigators he drove around from about 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. the night Balaquit vanished.

The court heard Pietz told investigators that while he was driving he also stopped and picked up some bananas and Pepsi from a Safeway and a bottle of whisky from a Manitoba Liquor Mart on Keewatin Street after stopping at Westcon.

Taylor testified Pietz told officers he’d been unemployed for the past three weeks, after quitting his job at Westcon Equipment. The court heard Pietz told officers he enjoyed driving around and that it was one of his hobbies.

The officer testified that Pietz indicated Balaquit gave him six to eight boxes.

“He said Eddie seemed in a rush,” Taylor testified. “Mr. Pietz indicated he moved Eddie’s van to the shipping door.”

“I asked him, ‘so in total how long had you been there?’ He indicated he’d been there about 35 minutes.”

Taylor testified he’d obtained information from witnesses that placed Pietz in the area for three hours.

He told the court because Pietz told officers he’d only been there 35 minutes, Pietz was placed under arrest.

“Based on simply the fact that he appears to be lying,” Taylor told the jury.

Taylor testified he read Pietz his notice of arrest. He told the court Pietz initially told officers he didn’t understand what was happening but after Taylor explained he was under arrest and no longer free, Taylor told the jury he asked if Pietz understood that and Pietz replied, “yes.”

“He then followed up with, ‘is Eddie dead?’” Taylor testified.

He told the court Pietz was placed under arrest for murder. He was taken to the downtown Winnipeg police headquarters, held overnight and released without charge the following morning.

Taylor testified Pietz’s clothing and shoes were seized by officers.

He also testified Pietz’s phone records were obtained on June 11 through a production order.

Court heard that it prompted police to set up a ground search of an area 81 square miles in size southeast of Arborg.

“It was enormous,” Taylor testified. “All we know is that somewhere in between Arborg and Winnipeg the suspect’s phone was used.”

Court has previously heard nothing was found in Arborg that assisted in the investigation.

Under cross-examination by Pietz’s lawyer Amanda Sansregret, Taylor testified police were relying on witness information they had obtained which placed Pietz in the area around Westcon for three hours.

“You don’t know for sure how long he was or wasn’t present,” Sansregret asked Taylor.

“I didn’t personally see him there, I’m simply relying on the information from witnesses,” Taylor testified.

Crown attorney Brent Davidson read an agreed statement of facts into the record from a statement given to police by Aloha Valencia, who court heard is Pietz’s common-law wife.

Davidson told the jury it is an agreed fact that Valencia told officers Pietz returned home around 10 p.m. on the night of June 4, 2018, with chicken from 7-Eleven and groceries from Safeway.

Davidson also told the court it is an agreed fact Valencia told police Pietz told her on June 5 he had seen Balaquit June 4 and got boxes from him.

The trial continues.

More details to come.