Charges laid against man after girl held against her will for four days near Ile-a-la-Crosse

A 42-year-old man is facing numerous charges 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, the RCMP received a report about the unlawful confinement of the girl.

The RCMP determined that the safest way to get to the cabin was by air, so the Canadian Armed Forces and the Emergency Response Team (ERT) were called in to help.

On Friday morning, two armed forces helicopters flew the ERT to the cabin.

They safely removed the girl from the cabin and she was transported by helicopter back to Ile-a-la-Crosse. She is back in the care of her family.

After the man tried to run from the cabin, he resisted arrest and a Conducted Energy Weapon (CEW) was deployed.

Firearms and drugs were found at the cabin and seized.

Aaron Gardiner of Ile-a-la-Crosse has been charged with unlawful confinement, assault, overcoming resistance, uttering threats, resisting arrest, possessing a firearm for a dangerous purpose, using a firearm in commission of an indictable offence, possession of proceeds of crime and possession for the purpose of trafficking.

The RCMP says the investigation is ongoing.