Man arrested after girl held against her will for four days in a cabin near Ile-a-la-Crosse

A man has been arrested after a girl was held against her will for four days in a cabin across Ile-a-La-Crosse Lake, about 10 kilometres from the village of Ile-a-la-Crosse.

On Thursday, RCMP received a report about the unlawful confinement of the girl. The initial report revealed the man responsible for the confinement had temporarily left the cabin to go to an unknown destination.

Ile-a-la-Crosse RCMP made several patrols in the village in an attempt to find the man. Officers also began to plan on how to safely travel across the lake to the secluded cabin.

They determined the safest way to access the cabin would be by air since the surface of Ile-a-la-Crosse Lake was slushy. The Canadian Armed Forces and the Saskatchewan Emergency Response Team (ERT) were called to assist.

Early Friday morning, two armed forces helicopters transported the ERT across the lake and landed next to the cabin. Police were able to secure the location and safely remove the girl from the cabin. She had minor bruising and was safely transported back by helicopter to Ile-a-la-Crosse.

The man tried to run from the cabin after seeing the police on scene. Once confronted by the police, he resisted arrest. A Conducted Energy Weapon (CEW) was deployed.

He was arrested and taken into custody. The man received medical treatment for what were reported to be minor injuries, after being transported to Ile-a-la-Crosse.

Firearms and drugs were found at the cabin and seized.

The girl is back in the care of her family.

The investigation is ongoing.