High-risk sex offender disappears from Vancouver, B.C. halfway house

Vancouver police are raising the alarm that a high-risk sex offender has disappeared from his halfway house just hours after being granted statutory release on Friday.

Thirty-nine-year-old Tony Okanase is now wanted Canada-wide.

https://twitter.com/VancouverPD/status/1558275521158402048?s=20&t=aqx90XOfmxVqqW-4r3FdoQ

He was granted statutory release from a prison in Agassiz on Friday morning.

Okanase reported to a halfway house in Vancouver but then checked out and hasn’t been seen or heard from since, according to police.

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“Okanase, who is now wanted Canada-wide, has a history of violent sexual offences against strangers dating back to 2003,” VPD officials said, in a release.

“He is a high risk to the public.”

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Police describe Okanase as six-feet-tall, 190 pounds, with short black hair and brown eyes.

He might be wearing glasses and has tattoos of a maple leaf and stars on his right forearm, a bear paw on his chest and symbols on his neck.

Anyone that may see Okanase is asked to call 911 immediately.

0:31 Condition on residence removed for violent sex offender who lives in Vancouver