Vancouver police have released new images of Randall Hopley, notorious convicted sex offender and fugitive sought Canada-wide for walking away from his Vancouver halfway house ahead of a court date.
Wednesday marked the fifth day of the search for Hopley, who cut his ankle monitor off on Nov. 4 and failed to return to the Downtown Eastside facility where he was living on a 10-year long-term supervision order.
“These pictures show the distinctive running shoes Hopley was wearing and a cart he was pulling when he left his halfway house Saturday afternoon,” Const. Tania Visintin said in a media release.
“We believe Hopley is taking deliberate steps to avoid being found, and he may be hiding out in a rural or isolated area.”
Investigators say Hopley was known to have boarded a bus near Main and Cordova streets at 3:10 p.m. the day he vanished. He got off at 3:26 p.m. at Main and Broadway, and cut off his ankle monitor near Main Street and East 8th Avenue at 4:08 p.m.
Hopley, 58, has a criminal record including convictions for sex assault, assault and breaking and entering.
He also infamously abducted a three-year-old boy in Sparwood, B.C., in 2011, triggering an Amber Alert and national search. He returned the child unhurt four days later and pleaded guilty to the kidnapping.
Vancouver police said 18 full-time investigators are tasked with the latest hunt for the fugitive, and have reviewed 40 tips including potential sightings in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Richmond, Vancouver Island, and the Sunshine Coast.
They have also conducted extensive searches in the city, notified shelters, libraries, community centres and schools, along with airlines and BC Ferries.
Hopley is described as five-feet nine-inches tall with short, dark hair an brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black baseball hat, black pants and dark blue running shoes with white markings and soles.
He also has a dark birthmark or mole near the hairline on the left side of his head. He was last seen wearing a black fanny pack and a pulling cart.
Anyone who sees Hopley is asked to call 911 immediately and not to approach him. Anyone with information is asked to call the VPD tip line at 604-717-0601.
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