A 26-year-old man from St. Stephen, N.B., has been charged following an Alert Ready message in Moores Mills, New Brunswick.
On October 11, 2023, an Alert Ready message was issued at 9:41 a.m., to advise residents of Moores Mills and surrounding areas to remain inside with doors locked, and others to avoid the area. Police were searching for a 26-year-old man, who was believed to be carrying a firearm with dangerous intent in the area. At the time, the man was last seen on foot, heading towards the woods near Highway 750 in Moores Mills.
At 4:37 p.m., on the same day, an updated Alert Ready message was issued advising residents in the area could exit their homes and resume their normal activities. Police continued to search for the 26-year-old man, who was evading police. Police encouraged residents to remain vigilant, and to report any sightings of the man.
On October 12, the New Brunswick RCMP ended the Alert Ready message for the Moores Mills area. Police advised that they were continuing to search for the man, who remained at large, and asked the public to contact police if they had information on his whereabouts.
On October 14, shortly before 11 p.m., police received information from the public that the man was at a residence in Moores Mills. Police attended and located the 26-year-old man in a vehicle. He then left the vehicle and fled the scene on foot. With the assistance of RCMP Police Dog Services, police officers located and arrested the individual, who resisted his arrest, and sustained minor injuries. The man was taken to hospital for medical treatment. He was later released from the hospital and was returned to police custody.
On October 15, Kody John Hiltz appeared in Saint John Provincial Court by way of tele-remand and was subsequently remanded into custody.
On October 16, Kody Hiltz reappeared in court, and five charges were laid against him, including:
- Assault with a weapon
- Possession of weapon for a dangerous purpose
- Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle
- Failure to comply with a probation order
- Resisting arrest
He was remanded into custody and is scheduled to return to court on October 20, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.
"We want to thank the public for their cooperation during this incident," says Cpl. Hans Ouellette of the New Brunswick RCMP. "We especially appreciate their assistance in regards to sharing the alert information as quickly as possible, remaining vigilant, and reporting any sightings of the man while he was at large. Public information was vital in helping us apprehend this dangerous individual."
The investigation is ongoing.