Police confirm a suspect in several violent robberies who was accidentally released from the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre over the weekend is now back in custody.
Dean Richard Zastowny was originally arrested in connection with a string of several violent robberies on Nov. 12.
Zastowny was arrested by Metro Vancouver Transit Police at a Burnaby SkyTrain station at 10:17 p.m. Tuesday following a report of a robbery in the 4100-block of North Road. A description of the suspect helped Transit Police find Zastowny quickly.
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The Canadian Banker’s Association considered Zastowny to be such a menace they put up a $10,000 reward for his arrest last month.
But he walked out of the Surrey pretrial centre last weekend. And police say he was considered armed and dangerous.
“He was inadvertently released from BC Corrections over the weekend and Surrey RCMP are now trying to locate him,” Surrey RCMP Cpl. Scotty Schumann said on Tuesday.
This week he was due in court — a place where he has a history.
Court records show charges dating back to the late 90s that include robberies in several cities, assaulting a peace officer and unlawful confinement. Records also show a count of escape from lawful custody back in 2009.
Zastowny is described as 47 years old, Caucasian, 6’1″, 215 pounds, with a fair complexion and blue eyes.
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B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said he is well aware of the mix-up.
“It does happen every now and then, but it is very rare,” he said. “There is an investigation underway into exactly what happened to determine what changes, if any, need to take place.”
Mike Morris, public safety critic for the B.C. Liberals, said he hopes B.C. Corrections “will be transparent in their findings and will let the public know what went wrong.”
B.C. Corrections said in a statement that they take the matter very seriously and they’re conducting a full review of what took place.
— With files from Geoff Hastings