A 40-year-old Kelowna man taken into custody following a string of crimes in Rutland ending in a four-hour-long standoff with RCMP will appear in court next week.
Stephen Earl Skinner is facing a number of charges including aggravated assault, robbery, assault with a weapon, break and enter and flight from police.
The crime spree began Monday after RCMP were called in following reports of a stabbing at about 4:18 p.m. on Arab Road. RCMP said a property owner from the area was stabbed when he confronted the suspect.
READ MORE: Kelowna man’s crime spree ends in four-hour-long standoff
The suspect went on to steal a car with a woman still inside the vehicle in order to flee the scene.
The stabbing victim and carjacking victim were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Emergency Response Team has arrived. No word from RCMP as to what the current situation is. @KelownaCapNews pic.twitter.com/2ThmCZVtUO
— Michael Rodriguez (@MichaelRdrguez) June 18, 2019
“Officers spotted the stolen vehicle and with public safety in mind, engaged in attempts to stop the vehicle,” Kelowna RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey said.
The suspect then crashed the car into a fire hydrant on Bryden Road near Highway 33, sending water nearly 30 feet in the air. The man fled the scene on foot.
“Officers chased the suspect on foot, who ran into and barricaded himself inside an empty nearby home,” Cpl. O’Donaghey said.
The man barricaded himself inside the home. The standoff with RCMP lasted for around four hours before ending with the police entering the home and taking the man away in handcuffs.
READ MORE: Armed standoff ends in Lake Country
Skinner will appear in court on June 25.
@caitleerach
Caitlin.clow@kelownacapnews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.