Arrest warrant issued for "laughing girl"

Arrest warrant issued for "laughing girl"

AN arrest warrant has been issued for the Winnipeg teen known as "Laughing Girl" who had publicly vowed she had changed her troubled ways.

Police are currently searching for the 18-year-old -- who can't be named because of her prior youth history -- after she allegedly breached conditions of several court orders on March 13.

"They haven't found her yet to formalize these latest charges against her," said a justice source.

The Free Press published excerpts Thursday of a two-page letter the girl wrote while still in custody at Portage Correctional Institute last month. In it, she expressed regret and apologies for her callous reaction to a March 2008 stolen-car crash that killed an innocent cab driver. She also claimed to be working hard to turn her life around.

"I've changed and even though I keep getting incarcerated there's still a lot of things that I do differently," she said. The teen blamed media coverage of her case for making it difficult to prosper.

Court records obtained Thursday show the girl was released from Portage on Feb. 26 after pleading guilty to breaching her court-ordered probation and curfew on Dec. 30. She was sentenced to time in custody and further probation.

Her freedom was short-lived. She was rearrested March 4 after allegedly assaulting a police officer who was trying to arrest her for being drunk in public. The teen spent one night in custody before being released on bail.

Now she is on the run from the law again.

The teen made headlines across Canada in June 2008 after pleading guilty to being a passenger in the stolen SUV that struck and killed Antonio Lanzellotti. She was given time in custody and two years of probation. The court heard of chilling statements she made to police following her arrest, including a claim she "didn't care" about Lanzellotti and that he "had to die sometime anyway." She was also seen smiling, laughing and twirling her hair as stunned police officers looked on.

So this girl sent a letter to the Free Press, saying she has changed and has been attempting to turn her life around? ..... How so? Obviously she is not trying to change her ways, when the minute she gets released from prison, she gets drunk and assaults a police officer and then further breaches her court ordered conditions! This teen has been in trouble with the law many times throughout her 18 years. This teen needs help. I don't know if prison is the answer, as it has been shown to cause further re-offending in teens once released, but something different needs to be done here. Whatever her issues are, need to be addressed. 

Man in controversial police brutality cop video, is in trouble with the law again

Man in controversial cop video, in trouble again

A 19-year-old man repeatedly struck by Winnipeg police officers during a videotaped arrest last year — leading to an investigation into the officers’ conduct — is allegedly in trouble with the law again.

Sources said city police officers arrested Cody Bousquet when he was allegedly caught driving a stolen van in the North End late Monday.

The arrest comes less than two months after Bousquet was sentenced for a stolen auto incident in February 2009, which ended with him being struck by the hands and knees of police officers and zapped twice with a Taser for allegedly resisting arrest.

This time, there was no pursuit or struggle — sources allege Bousquet pulled over for police and was taken into custody without incident.

The arrest occurred on Redwood Avenue near Powers Street about 10 p.m.

Bousquet, who is in custody, is accused of stealing three vehicles between Feb. 21 and Monday, sources said.

His lawyer, Daniel Manning, couldn’t be reached for comment.

Bousquet is charged with three counts of theft under $5,000, two counts of driving while disqualified, and four court-order breaches, according to court documents.

He is scheduled to appear in a Winnipeg courtroom Wednesday.

Bousquet gained notoriety in late January when surveillance video of last year’s arrest was obtained by the Winnipeg Sun. The video surfaced when Bousquet pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and two counts of assaulting a police officer and was sentenced to 11 months time served.

After it became public, Winnipeg police asked RCMP to investigate to determine whether the officers used excessive force. An independent Crown attorney from Ontario will decide whether criminal charges are warranted against the officers.

The night of the arrest, Bousquet was highly intoxicated when he led officers on a dangerous high-speed pursuit in a stolen pickup truck, crashing into a police car and civilian vehicle.

The officers argue the level of force was required to gain compliance of and handcuff a resisting subject, court heard at sentencing. Bousquet struggled so police couldn’t get control of his arms, swung, flailed around and tried to put his arms in his waistband, one officer claimed.

However, at sentencing, Judge Ray Wyant said he didn’t see “any evidence of overt resistance” when he watched the video.