On October 21, 2022, at approximately 8:30 am, Portage la Prairie RCMP received a report about a male stuck in the venting system of a business on Saskatchewan Avenue West in Portage.
An employee of the business arrived at work in the morning to hear someone yelling for help inside a vent in the ceiling of the business. The employee called for emergency assistance. Officers and the local fire department attended immediately, and a male was extricated from the vent.
Investigation determined that Daniel Francis, 30, from Portage, had climbed to the roof of the building and damaged a vent grill to gain access to the venting system. He then entered the vent and got stuck. Once removed from the vent, Francis was arrested and charged with Break and Enter and Mischief Over $5000 due to the extensive damage caused to the building.
Francis has been released with a court date.