'Dangerous offender' released from custody by mistake found near London, Ont.
The man accused of attempted murder was in the custody of the Solicitor General
Police in London, Ont., have re-arrested a man they said was accidentally released from custody after appearing for a judicial hearing related to an attempted murder charge.
Cody Anthony Leblanc Ashe, 28, was "erroneously released from custody" Thursday after a judicial appearance in relation to allegedly shooting a person outside a public housing complex in London in 2024.
On Saturday night, at 7:45 p.m., the London Police Service said he had been found outside of the city. They did not specify where he was found.
In a written statement, a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Solicitor General said Leblanc Ashe "was improperly released from Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre."
"This error is unacceptable, and the Ministries of the Attorney General and the Solicitor General are investigating the circumstances of this release," the statement reads.
When police first made it known that Leblanc Ashe was missing, they said he posed a serious threat to the public, and considered him armed and dangerous.
Leblanc Ashe is accused of attempted murder and possession of a firearm contrary to a probation order among other charges. One man was hospitalized with serious injuries nearly a year ago on Sept. 11, 2024, when LeBlanc Ashe allegedly shot him.
He was arrested in late October 2024 at a home near the site of the shooting.
"Police would like to thank the public for sharing the previous media release and providing several tips our investigators followed up on which assisted with the swift resolution of this investigation," police wrote in a statement.