Police have confirmed that a search in a bedroom community north of Calgary, Alta., is part of an ongoing investigation into the disappearance of a five-year-old and his grandparents, and that a man has been taken in for police questioning.
Members of the RCMP and Calgary Police Service confirmed on Saturday that a green Ford F-150 pickup truck matching the description of the one they have been looking for was located on a tree-lined driveway, near Airdrie. Police have been at that property, on Range Road 291, north of Highway 567, since 6 p.m. on Friday. Airdrie is located approximately 33 kilometres north of Calgary.
“Police can confirm that they are at the location as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Nathan O’Brien and Kathryn and Alvin Liknes,” Duty Insp. Joel Matthews told reporters Saturday evening.
Matthews said a search on that acreage was initiated after police received a tip from the public that a vehicle similar to the one that was seen on a surveillance video taken nearby the Liknes’ home in southwest Calgary was spotted.
Police said a man is also being questioned. He was escorted from the Airdrie property Friday night. Investigators say, however, that it is too early to determine if the man, the vehicle, or the property is connected to the mysterious disappearance of Nathan and his grandparents.
The three have been missing since Monday. Nathan had been staying with his grandparents at their Calgary home over the weekend. When his mother went to the house on Monday, none of them were there.
Police are expected to be at the Airdrie property for the next 24 to 36 hours. Several police units, including a search-and-rescue team and forensic officers are assisting with the search.
On Friday, police confirmed that a violent incident took place at the Liknes’ home where the trio went missing, and that they had found forensic evidence in the home. They didn’t detail what the evidence was.
With files from CTV Calgary’s Bill Macfarlane
