RCMP searching for suspect after woman and daughter kidnapped
Manitoba RCMP are on the hunt for a Winnipeg man after a woman and her daughter were briefly kidnapped near Portage la Prairie Friday afternoon.
Portage la Prairie RCMP say they were first called to a hotel parking lot around 4:30 p.m. Friday. Reports said a man was acting erratically in a parking lot and possibly consuming drugs.
When officers arrived, they tried to speak with the man. He put his van into reverse, ramming it into the police car. The suspect then drove off, trying to hit police as he went. The van was later determined to have been stolen from Winnipeg.
Mounties drove after the suspect vehicle, but broke OFF the chase because of its dangerous driving, including into oncoming traffic. Police continued to search for the van.
At 5:20 p.m., police received a 911 call from a woman living just east of Portage la Prairie. The call was disconnected, but a male and female voice could be heard before it went silent. Officers went to the residence and learned that a 25-year-old woman and her two-year-old daughter had been kidnapped and their vehicle had been stolen. The suspect’s van was found nearby.
Believing the suspect to be headed towards Winnipeg, RCMP mobilized every available unit and notified the Winnipeg Police Service. RCMP Air Services and WPS AIR1 were also called to assist.
Around 6:30 p.m., the abducted woman called police, saying the suspect had fled her vehicle and that both she and her daughter were safe in the Polo Park area. The victim and suspect were not known to each other.
An Amber Alert was in the process of being sent out before she called police.
The suspect has been identified as Michael Stephen Klimchuk, 62, from Winnipeg. He is 5’8”, 220 lbs, has long brown hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a camouflage jacket and light coloured pants. He is believed to be in the Winnipeg area.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact police.
This is a developing story. CTV News Winnipeg will update it as more details become available.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
New one-and-done therapy can help curb severe COVID-19 infection: Canadian-led study
A Canadian-led study of a new potential antiviral therapy shows a single dose can help cut the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19.

Are video games good for kids' brains or bad for them? New research suggests the answer is 'neither'
A small new study has found that neither the frequency of daily gaming reported by pre-teen children nor the specific video game genres they chose to play were linked with their performance on a standardized cognitive tests.
Canada deploys military assessment team to Turkiye after earthquake
Canada deployed a disaster assessment team to Turkey on Wednesday in the wake of a devastating earthquake that's killed thousands, as the federal government faced criticism that the window to help with rescue efforts was closing.
'It was a nightmare': 2 children dead, driver charged after city bus crashes into Laval daycare
A man has been arrested and two children are dead after a driver crashed a city bus into a daycare in Laval, Que. Wednesday morning. The deadly crash sent multiple children to area hospitals and parents scrambling to find their kids shortly after they dropped them off for the day at the Garderie éducative Sainte-Rose, north of Montreal.
Alphabet shares dive after Google AI chatbot Bard flubs answer in ad
Alphabet Inc. lost US$100 billion in market value on Wednesday after its new chatbot shared inaccurate information in a promotional video and a company event failed to dazzle, feeding worries that the Google parent is losing ground to rival Microsoft.
opinion | Before you do your taxes, take note of these tax credits and deductions you may not have known about
Many Canadians are experiencing strains caused by the increased cost of living and inflation. In his exclusive column for CTVNews.ca, contributor Christopher Liew shares some of the top credits and deductions that you may be able to claim on your income tax return to help you save money.
Indigo payment systems, online store down after 'cybersecurity incident'
Indigo's payment systems and online store are down after a 'cybersecurity incident,' the company announced on Wednesday evening.
Netflix Canada begins password sharing crackdown
Netflix Canada is rolling out its long-anticipated plans to crack down on password sharing, saying it will begin notifying Canadian users today by email about limitations.
Tyre Nichols documents: Officer never explained stop to him
The officer who pulled Tyre Nichols from his car before police fatally beat him never explained why he was being stopped, newly released documents show, and emerging reports from Memphis residents suggest that was common.