Two Manitobans charged in two-day manhunt in northwestern Ontario

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A two-day manhunt in northwestern Ontario has ended in more than 20 charges against a Manitoba man and woman.

The Dryden Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) launched the search just before 11 a.m. Thursday, after officers saw a man get out of a car and steal a licence plate from another vehicle. Police said they tried to pull the car over, but the driver sped off.

Shortly after 6 a.m. Friday, police received a report of a suspicious vehicle on Airport Road in Dryden, Ont. When officers tried to initiate another traffic stop, they said the driver took off at a high speed, “intentionally striking a marked police cruiser,” damaging it in the process. No officers were injured.

The suspects in the second traffic stop matched the descriptions of those involved in Thursday’s incident.

Two hours later, a report came in about a man and a woman failing to pay their taxi fare after using the service the night before. The descriptions matched those of the pair involved in the traffic stops.

After an extensive search involving several police units, two people were arrested and charged.

Nathan Schroeder, a 38-year-old man from Winnipeg, was charged with 21 offences, including:

• Two counts of flight from a peace officer;
• Two counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle;
• Five counts of failing to comply with a release order;
• Three counts of possessing property obtained by crime under $5,000;
• Theft under $5,000;
• Two counts of possessing proceeds of property obtained by crime over $5,000;
• Two counts of assaulting a peace officer with a weapon;
• Failing to stop after an accident;
• Resisting a peace officer;
• Theft over $5,000 of a motor vehicle;
• Transportation fraud.

Samantha McElroy, a 31-year-old woman from Morris, Man., was charged with nine offences, including two counts of flight from a peace officer, possessing proceeds of property obtained by crime over $5,000, two counts of possessing property obtained by crime under $5,000, two counts of assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, theft over $5,000 from a motor vehicle, and transportation fraud.

The pair was held in custody by police for a bail hearing Saturday. Both were remanded into custody and are expected to appear in court again Monday.