REAL SCOOP: Fugitive charged with murder finally caught
Credit to Author: Kim Bolan| Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2019 05:39:26 +0000
Police had searched for accused killer Brandon Teixeira across B.C., in Alberta and in the U.S. After more of a year hunting, the Surrey man was finally arrested in California.
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A B.C. man wanted in a 2017 Surrey murder has been arrested in California.
Brandon Nathan Teixeira, who is charged in the October 2017 murder of Nicholas Khabra, was picked up Sunday at a residence in Oroville, 105 kilometres north of Sacramento.
Sgt. Frank Jang, of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, said Teixeira tried to evade police during the arrest.
“I can tell you he did not go quietly. He was making attempts to evade police,” Jang said.
“It was a very dynamic situation.”
Teixeira, 28, will be extradited to Canada, he said.
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) released more details of the arrest later Monday, saying the U.S. Marshal’s Office contacted them Nov. 29 about Teixeira possibly being in the area.
“BCSO personnel conducted an investigation and determined Teixeira had been residing at a residence in the 100-block of Weedy Way, Oroville,” the news release said. “On November 30, BCSO obtained a search warrant for the residence on Weedy Way. BCSO personnel conducted on-going surveillance.”
Backed by three SWAT teams, detectives from the sheriff’s office and the U.S. Marshals went to execute the search Sunday.
“Teixeira and a male, later identified as Jeff Guerrier, age 30 of New York, exited the residence after several minutes. Teixeira did not comply with BCSO orders and got into a vehicle on the property. In an attempt to escape, Teixeira rammed a BCSO armored vehicle with his vehicle.”
Teixeira then attempted to drive off, but the BCSO used a second armored vehicle to disable his vehicle.
“Teixeira exited his vehicle and did not follow BCSO commands. BCSO used a K-9 to take Teixeira into custody. After obtaining a medical clearance at a local hospital, U.S. Marshals took custody of Teixeira, and are holding him in federal custody pending extradition proceedings.”
While executing the search warrant, the sheriff’s office personnel “located approximately 26 pounds of heroin, over 1,000 OxyContin and Percocet pills, and an estimated 40 pounds of marijuana.”
Guerrier was later booked for on charges of harboring and concealing a wanted felon, possession of heroin for sale, and possession of marijuana for sale.
Jang thanked the U.S. law enforcement agencies who left their holiday plans to aid their Canadian counterparts.
“We called on these law enforcement agencies in California, we called them out of their Thanksgiving plans to assist in capturing a known fugitive, a dangerous person who has been charged with first-degree murder,” he said.
Jang said a series of tips led to the break in the case, which had received assistance and a $55,000 reward offer from both Crimestoppers and the Be On the Lookout — or BOLO — program.
“His capture ends an international manhunt in which IHIT and the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit British Columbia worked together to locate Mr. Teixeira,” Jang said.
Jang couldn’t say if the reward offered will be paid out. And he said more details will be released about the arrest by the Butte County Sheriff’s office.
CFSEU acting Chief Officer Paul Dadwal said Teixeira’s arrest sends a message to criminals on the run “that we will relentlessly pursue you until you face justice.”
Khabra was gunned down on Oct. 23, 2017 outside a residence in the 14300-block of Crescent Road. He later died in hospital.
Teixera was charged in September
Teixeira has a criminal record that includes a 2016 conviction for possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking. He also has outstanding charges from 2016 for aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and uttering threats.
Khabra also had a criminal history.
In 2011, he was arrested by the gang task force and charged with a number of firearms offences. Within days, those charges were withdrawn.
Two years earlier in 2009, he was handed a six-month conditional sentence for dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
In a related civil suit, Khabra was ordered in 2011 to pay the person he struck $205,000, according to records of the case obtained by Postmedia.