2 wanted men arrested after dramatic chase though busy B.C. mall, RCMP say

Left: William Beale, 28, is seen in an RCMP handout image. Right: A file image of Richmond Centre Mall.

Two wanted men have been arrested after a security guard spotted them together at a busy mall in Richmond, B.C., this week—resulting in a dramatic chase that ended with the suspects jumping off a ledge in a parkade.

Mission RCMP put out separate pleas for the public’s help locating 28-year-old William Beale and 19-year-old Dayton Zahn over recent months, which apparently led to the guard recognizing Zahn among a group of three men at Richmond Centre on Monday afternoon.

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Richmond RCMP officers who were already at the mall chased the trio into the parking lot, where the suspects “jumped down from one parkade level to the next, landing on top of a parked car, crushing its roof and shattering its back window,” the Mission detachment said in a news release Wednesday.

Officers arrested Beale and Zahn, while the third man escaped. Authorities said they’re reviewing surveillance video in an effort to identify him.

Beale was wanted on charges including assault with a weapon, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, possession of stolen property over $5,000, failing to stop for police, and failing to comply with conditions.

He was also charged with escaping from custody after allegedly removing an ankle monitor and fleeing from a recovery house last May.

Zahn was wanted on charges of assault with a weapon, forcible confinement, robbery and extortion.

In a statement, Insp. Vaz Kassam of the Richmond RCMP said their arrests highlight “the role the public plays in community safety.”

“The security guard did exactly the right thing by contacting police and not attempting to intervene,” Kassam said. “We remind anyone who sees a wanted person not to approach them, but to call police immediately.”