Ronald Arthur Teneycke
You could almost hear the collective sigh of relief across the South Okanagan last Thursday morning when it was announced that Ronald Teneycke was captured.
A dangerous fugitive who was roaming the backcountry of Oliver is off the streets after the RCMP captured the prolific criminal and families are feeling safer again.
A lot of residents were worried about their personal safety, wondering if they were going to come face-to-face with the repeat violent offender who had nothing to lose.
The word “desperate” fell from the lips of many watchers who expected Teneycke to go down in a blaze of glory. But fortunately there were no casualties in the orchard in Cawston where the manhunt ended.
“We are thankful the arrest was made without any injuries to our officers, the general public, or Teneycke,” said RCMP spokesman Cpl. Dave Truman.
The officer would not say if Teneycke had a weapon or confirm news reports that shots were fired during the takedown.
There were unconfirmed reports that the 53-year-old fugitive high-tailed it to the Similkameen after allegedly wounding an Oliver man during a confrontation on a forest service road to Mount Baldy last Wednesday morning.
The reported victim thought Teneycke was a hitchhiker and told him to get out of his vehicle when he discovered who his passenger was and was consequently assaulted with a weapon.
Tenecyke then stole the man’s pickup truck, according to numerous reports.
A source from within South Okanagan General Hospital reported the victim (Wayne Belleville) was wounded by a bullet fired by a rifle Tenecyke was carrying and airlifted to Kelowna for treatment. Belleville could not be reached for comment by press time.
The next day an RCMP officer involved in the active search for Teneycke spotted the stolen vehicle in Cawston. As the officer got closer he was able to confirm Teneycke was alone in the vehicle.
When Teneycke saw the officer, he accelerated in an attempt to flee, heading towards Fairview-Cawston Road and into the rural mountain pass that leads to Oliver.
RCMP Air Services was involved in the search and followed Teneycke up Fairview-Cawston Road, where he was intercepted by the RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT).
Teneycke did not stop but made a frantic turn and drove back toward Cawston. Teneycke was pursued by the ERT to Lowe Drive in Cawston and then into an orchard, where he was ultimately apprehended.
It was news that everyone was waiting for.
“A great big thank you to the RCMP,” said one resident in a Facebook posting.
Another stated: “I never criticize law enforcement or firefighters because I am not willing or suited to do the jobs they do.”
Sergeant Blaine Gervais from the Oliver RCMP thanked the public for many tips and reported sightings that led to Teneycke’s arrest.
“I would also like to thank the area residents for understanding the difficulty in having the RCMP release timely information during such an event.”
Gervais said the RCMP was actively attempting to locate Teneycke for some time using locations and methods he could use to evade capture.
In Osoyoos, Mayor Sue McKortoff said residents were certainly concerned in that community.
“But we have full confidence in the RCMP,” she said. “I saw many trucks and police cars on the streets the other day. I think having all the relevant agencies working together is a good use of resources and it worked well.”
Oliver Mayor Ron Hovanes agreed that the police did a great job throughout the whole ordeal.
“The community was definitely on edge and for good reason,” he said. “A prolific offender at large, the main suspect in an armed robbery (allegedly) shoots a citizen, puts a community and many members of law enforcement at risk.”
Tyreman applauded the media and readers, listeners and viewers for their support in helping the RCMP get their man.
He noted that members of the public provided the police with updated sightings of Teneycke during the search.
There were definitely some tense moments over the past two weeks.
It escalated when Eastside Grocery in Oliver was robbed on July 16 by a man fitting Teneycke’s description.
The fugitive was able to evade capture for several days, putting a lot of residents on edge.
One local resident questioned why the RCMP were not able to catch him in such a small community, but Teneycke knows Oliver’s back country very well and there are many places to hide.
Last week the community was abuzz with the presence of many police cars and several ERT members dressed in camouflage and carrying assault rifles.
They were on the lookout for the white GMC pickup truck that Teneycke allegedly stole.
Police knew they were getting close to the fugitive and pulled out all the stops to apprehend him. Armed officers were stationed at EZ Fuels on Hwy. 97 north of Oliver all day and there were road checks in the Osoyoos area.
RCMP “ghost” cars and trucks whizzed down Highway 97 and through the Town of Oliver like a war zone.
To some people, the ERT vehicle looked like a mini-tank with major firepower.
“It is a troubling story from beginning till now,” said Hovanes, noting Teneycke had traumatized individuals and a whole community.
“You can only hope that we are not faced with his impact anytime soon.”
Hovanes said it is frustrating that when Teneycke was released from his jail sentence years ago, local residents were not informed that prison and parole officials believed he would reoffend.
Tenecyke has caused residents of Oliver to feel on edge many times over the past several years, the mayor said.
“As a council, we lobbied both the province and the feds that if you return these offenders to municipalities make sure there are adequate resources to monitor them.”
Hovanes is expressing the same concerns that many residents have for years.
Some people feel that Teneycke should never have been released to continue his reign of terror on various communities he resided in.
Teneycke is scheduled to appear in court to face charges of robbery and using an imitation firearm to commit an indictable offence. He has been remanded to the Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre.
On Monday, Oliver council discussed setting up a meeting with the B.C. Attorney General regarding dangerous and prolific offenders being returned to their communities.
LYONEL DOHERTY
Special to the Times
RCMP were in Okanagan Falls Wednesday near the home of Ronald Arthur Teneycke, who is sought by police. (Lyonel Doherty photo)
RCMP were in Okanagan Falls Wednesday near the home of Ronald Arthur Teneycke, who is sought by police. (Lyonel Doherty photo)
