A high-tech tipoff leads OPP to a U.S. fugitive who fled across a frozen river—only to get stuck in the snow

At 2:21 AM, the Rainy River District OPP received an alert—not from a person, but from an iPhone. The automated crash notification directed officers to Atwood Worthington Road 1, where they discovered an abandoned vehicle and an unexpected international pursuit.

Investigators determined the vehicle was tied to a violent domestic assault in the U.S., where a male suspect had attacked a woman, breaking her arm, before stealing her car. Attempting to escape, he drove across the frozen river into Canada—only to become stranded in a snowbank.

OPP officers Smith and Rotmark-Lundgren tracked the suspect on foot, eventually finding him hiding among cows in a farm field. Adding to his misfortune, he had fallen through the ice, leaving him drenched and freezing—hardly the clean getaway he had planned.

The suspect was arrested and handed over to the Canada Border Services Agency, which processed his return to the U.S. Authorities, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office, were waiting to take him into custody.

This case highlights the OPP’s commitment to border security alongside its law enforcement partners. Residents near the border are reminded to stay vigilant:

✅ Report suspicious activity
✅ Lock outbuildings
✅ Secure vehicle keys