A wanted man thought to be living in the bush around Fort Langley was caught sleeping in a home under construction in the historic village on Friday, Nov. 13.
Langley RCMP, with the assistance of the Emergency Response Team and Police Dog Service, arrested Matthew Ostrander, 29, on outstanding arrest warrants.
Just prior to 7:30 a.m. that day, the Langley RCMP received a call about an unauthorized man sleeping in a residence under construction in the Fort Langley area.
The caller believed the man to be the same one put out in the media release of a bush man with outstanding warrants, last seen near the Houston Trail.
Within minutes, officers responded and surrounded the home. Police dogs and the ERT cleared the residence and located Ostrander hiding in the crawl space. He was arrested moments later without incident.
During the arrest several items were located in Ostrander’s possession leading investigators to an unreported break in that had occurred overnight to a nearby home.
“Once again the awareness of our citizens has led to the RCMP successfully apprehending a person of significant concern to us,” said Langley RCMP Supt. Murray Power. “The many eyes and ears of the people of Langley are some of the greatest tools police have at their disposal.”
Ostrander is now in custody facing charges of a B&E in Duncan, June 4, breach of probation in Quinte West, Ont. May, 13, possession of a firearm and careless use of a firearm in Belleville, Ont. Oct. 12, 2012, among other charges. He is also facing a new charge of break and enter for Nov. 13. He appears next in court on Nov. 20.
