Nanaimo tugboat owner frustrated with justice system after offender released

A tugboat owner in Nanaimo, B.C., says he is frustrated with the justice system after a recent incident.

On Saturday, a man was caught on Andrew Reynold’s security camera illegally entering his tugboat, which was docked off Cameron Island.

The man spent nearly 30 hours on board, helping himself to food and even cooking a meal, before vandalizing some of the furniture on board.

Reynolds said the man smashed the wheelhouse and cabin cameras and threw them overboard.

Then he appeared to be smoking something at one point and engaging in bizarre behaviour.

“He was running around the salon area, kicking, karate chopping, doing strange things, climbing on tables,” Reynolds said.

It appears the man left the tugboat on Feb. 1 and attempted to steal some groceries from Thrifty Foods in the Port Place Mall around 2:45 p.m.

A short time later, the same man was seen boarding Reynold’s tugboat and that’s when he barricaded himself in and refused to leave.

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The Emergency Response Team used tear gas to eventually end the standoff and the 44-year-old man was arrested around 5:30 p.m.

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He was released on Monday, but was spotted back at the same dock not long after.

“I called 911 immediately,” Reynolds said. “Minutes later, he starts walking away.”

He said he is frustrated to learn the man was released from custody.

“He’s out on the streets again, 24 hours later, doing whatever he wants to do.”

Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog said people are understandably upset.

“I think most people are pretty upset and are looking for why and how this happened and appears to continue to happen across this province far too frequently,” he said.

Marcel Alvin Fontaine, who has no fixed address, is now under a series of release conditions, which include staying 100 metres away from Reynold’s boat.

He is also charged with assaulting three people with a weapon on Dec. 23 and police allege he assaulted or tried to assault staff at Thrifty Foods, stole items and obstructed the attending officer.

Fontaine’s next court appearance is Feb. 10.

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