Stony Plain/Spruce Grove RCMP are investigating after a man was reportedly kidnapped at gunpoint, bound and gagged and forced into a vehicle before escaping in Edmonton.
RCMP said it happened on Saturday, Oct. 8 around 4:30 a.m. in Stony Plain. The victim was leaving a friend’s apartment and getting into his vehicle when police said he was kidnapped at gunpoint by four other men.
Police said the victim’s hands and mouth were duct taped before he was placed in the back seat of a gold-colored Ford Escape SUV.
He was driven to a south Edmonton condominium complex, where he managed to escape unharmed.
The man showed up at a south Edmonton police station, where he told officers about the ordeal. Edmonton police called RCMP around 5:40 a.m. to tell them about the incident.
Joshua Lark, 26, of Stony Plain was charged with kidnapping while using a firearm, forcible confinement, and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
Lark will remain in police custody until his first court appearance in Stony Plain on Wednesday, Oct. 19. Police said it’s believed Lark and the victim know each other.
There’s no word on the other three suspected abductors.
Anyone with information about the kidnapping is asked to call the Stony Plain RCMP Detachment at 780-968-7267. Those wanting to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers by phoning 1-800-222-8477.
Stony Plain is about 30 kilometres west of Edmonton.