Fugitive brothers collared in B.C.

 

It didn’t end as dramatically as Bonnie and Clyde, but alleged bank robbing brothers and their lovers, who are also sisters, were brought down by the law this weekend. Albertans Ian Michael Butz, 28, and Jason Avery Butz, 26, were being hunted in the Creston B.C. area, about 500 km southwest of Calgary, since Friday, wanted in connection to a pair of armed robberies at gas stations in the Peace River area, around 780 km north of Calgary. A shotgun and camouflage clothing were used in the robberies — in the small northern Alberta villages of Nampa and Donnelly, Aug. 31 — and an ATV was used as the getaway vehicle. Cops believe the Butz brothers’ girlfriends, 26- and 22-year-old sisters from Lethbridge, were involved in the robberies. The women were picked up at the Porthills/Rykert border crossing between B.C. and Idaho Friday evening around 8 p.m., riding the ATV., leading the RCMP in nearby Creston to believe their still fugitive boyfriends were in the area and might try to cross next. Active searching by cops and Canada Border Services Agency turned up nothing, until an off-duty Canadian Broder Services Agency officer happened across the brothers wandering on foot around 9 a.m. Sunday. “He spots them walking along Hwy. 21 at Erickson Rd., essentially in Creston. They’re still dressed in the camouflage,” said Cpl. Dan Moskaluk of the B.C. RCMP. “Both were arrested without incident, (but) we did not recover the firearm.” The Butz Brothers are charged with two counts of armed robbery each, and while investigation into the women’s involvement continues, Moskaluk said charges will be sought against them as well. He noted Creston is only 20 km from the same Canada-U.S. border crossing their girlfriends tried to get through. “We’re all relieved that they’re off the streets,” said Moskaluk, noting a high likelihood they would have offended again, given the nature of the accusations against them. The border service officers participating in this search are proud of the role they played, said CBSA spokeswoman Faith St. John. “Intercepting criminals is one of the ways that they support CBSA’s national security mandate,” she said. Moskaluk figures these fugitives’ time on the lam would have ended in Creston regardless of cops’ good fortune Sunday. “It’s a fairly small community, (and) their ears will certainly perk up when they hear there are people at large and armed,” said Moskaluk.