By Rafe Arnott, Vancouver Sun
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/accused+forcing+drive+getaway/2983931/story.html#ixzz0mz3O7ViE
Abbotsford Crown Counsel approved several charges Monday against a man police arrested for forcing a 12-year-old boy to drive a getaway vehicle in a robbery in Mission Friday night.
Ryan Heatherington, 22, is facing charges of kidnapping, unlawful confinement, two counts of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and two counts of theft.
Heatherington is accused of jumping into a pickup truck parked near Second Avenue and Murray Street in Mission around 10 p.m. and demanding the youth occupying the truck -- who was waiting for his father to return from running an errand -- drive him to a nearby Save-On Foods.
A security guard at the grocery store called police after seeing Heatherington shoplift a number of items and take off in the blue Chevrolet S-10 pickup being driven by the boy.
The truck fled the scene heading east and was forced to stop by a passing train, which allowed police to quickly surround the vehicle.
Mission RCMP Cpl. Raina Siou said Heatherington is well known to law enforcement and said he initially approached the boy asking for a ride.
When the boy told him he was too young to drive and it was his father's vehicle, he reached through the window and shoved the youth over, produced a knife and told him to drive, she said.
"Such a brave kid. He managed to keep his cool and got the suspect where he wanted to go. He was very frightened for his life and concerned about losing his father's truck," Siou said.
Siou said while the incident was very concerning, there was little the boy could have done differently.
"This individual took advantage of the situation, and to be able to protect oneself from every possibility is hard to do."
Siou said both the boy and his parents were referred to Mission victim services for counselling.
"We're relieved [this incident] had as happy an ending as it could have."
The Abbotsford Times
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