A 19-year-old Dartmouth man is facing multiple charges in connection with an attempted abduction and break and enter at a home in Halifax’s south end.
Police were called to the Oakland Road residence on Oct. 16 after a masked man armed with a firearm tried to abduct a man living in the house.
The homeowner, Bradley Langille, managed to fight the suspect off and called police. The suspect then fled the area on foot, sparking an extensive police search in the area.
Police recovered a pellet handgun near the home, believed to be connected to the incident, but were unable to locate the suspect.
Shaken by the incident, Langille hired private security to watch his property.
Nearly a week later, officers were called back to Langille’s home after the security guards found a man inside the residence Monday morning.
The guards were able to detain the man until police arrived at the scene, where they seized an air soft replica of an assault rifle.
“He was brought back to police headquarters where he was interviewed by our major crime investigator and it was later determined that it was the same male that broke in the same residence Oct. 16,” confirms Const. Pierre Bourdages.
Kent MacDonald is the president of Shadow Security, the company hired by Langille to watch his home. He says the arrest will likely help Langille and his family to feel more secure.
“It gives a sense of closure and now it’s just about, you know, everybody else getting involved as far as the courts and police and putting the pieces together and kind of helping them with that peace of mind,” he says.
Aaron MacDonald is facing charges of kidnapping and two counts each of break and enter, disguise with intent, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and using an imitation of a firearm in the commission of an offence.
“They’re very serious charges,” says Crown prosecutor Rick Woodburn. “They bring a range of life imprisonment and some of them have mandatory minimums of a year in jail.”
MacDonald doesn’t have a previous criminal record.
A forensic doctor conducted a brief assessment before MacDonald appeared in Halifax provincial court Tuesday afternoon.
The doctor recommended MacDonald undergo a 30-day psychiatric assessment to determine criminal responsibility and fitness to stand trial.
He is due back in court Nov. 22 following the assessment.
Police are still investigating the incidents. They say it isn’t clear as to why Langille’s home was targeted, or why the suspect returned to the home six days later.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Jacqueline Foster
