Three escapees from The Pas jail arrested without incident: RCMP

BY ERIC WESTHAVER FLIN FLON REMINDER

It appears the Mounties have gotten their man.

The third and final inmate who escaped from a jail in The Pas Monday night has been found and arrested.

RCMP have arrested all three inmates that escaped a jail in The Pas on May 8, including one facing a second-degree murder charge.

Police in The Pas were notified around 6:45 p.m. Monday of three inmates having escaped from The Pas Correctional Centre. The trio were last seen at 6:40 p.m. and had apparently escaped the jail on foot. RCMP members, along with Manitoba RCMP Police Dog Services, set out on a search, locating one of the inmates shortly after 8 p.m. and taking him back into custody.

Two of the inmates remained at large that night. The fugitives were identified as 19-year-old Xander William Tardiff and 21-year-old Kelly John Castel.

According to police, Tardiff was found by police and arrested May 9 by The Pas RCMP.

"Xander Tardiff has been located and was arrested without incident. He is now in police custody," reads an RCMP announcement made around 2 p.m. that day.

Castel was located early Wednesday morning in The Pas and was arrested after attempting to flee on foot once more. RCMP Emergency Response Team members spotted Castel around Halcrow Avenue in the community and chased after him, along with police dogs and an aerial surveillance drone. The dogs were the key to the search — one found Castel hiding, leading to his arrest.

"Emergency Response Team officers, who were brought in to assist with the search for the escaped inmates, were conducting patrols in The Pas earlier this morning and located Kelly Castel near Halcrow Avenue. Castel fled on foot and additional police units including Police Dog Services, Remotely Piloted Aircraft System Unit (drone) and The Pas detachment members immediately responded to the area," reads a Manitoba RCMP update issued May 10.

"A police dog led officers to Castel who was hiding a short distance away. He was arrested and is now in custody."

Mayor of The Pas Andre Murphy announced the arrests before RCMP did Wednesday morning, thanking police for their efforts and the community for their assistance.

"Thank you to the RCMP for their efforts and long hours dealing with the escaped inmates. It is good news to hear this morning, May 10, that all three individuals have been captured," reads an online post from Murphy.

"Thank you to our citizens for looking after each other and reporting all suspicious activity."

Police have also thanked community members for their assistance during the search.

"The Manitoba RCMP recognizes that this was a difficult time for the affected communities and thanks the residents for their understanding and assistance," reads the May 10 statement.

Tardiff was arrested in 2022 and faced several charges, including second-degree murder, in the death of 26-year-old Catherine Morin in Flin Flon January 2022. Tardiff was the subject of a manhunt by police following the killing of Morin and a second shooting incident in Creighton, leading to his arrest after hiding out at the Aspen Grove apartment complex. Tardiff was in The Pas awaiting trial on charges relating to the attacks.

An Alert Ready message was sent to residents in Flin Flon, The Pas, Creighton and surrounding communities late on the night of May 8 about the escape of the two men, particularly Tardiff. At one point during the search, RCMP said that Tardiff may attempt to harm individuals known to him — no evidence has been released to show that either man ended up leaving the area around The Pas while on the lam.

As one of the world’s largest producers of high-quality, low-carbon nickel, copper and cobalt, Vale mines the critical minerals essential to building a greener future. We are focused on developing our people and our workforce to build a truly inclusive and diverse workforce.

Our operations in Thompson are located in the heart of the Northern Boreal Region — the Hub of Northern Manitoba. Vale’s Thompson Manitoba Operations are now hiring for the following positions: