B.C. RCMP seek man charged with multiple violent crimes

James Andrew Wessel is shown in this photo provided by the Kamloops RCMP

A man facing charges for multiple violent crimes in B.C. is at large, according to police – who are appealing to the public in hopes of locating him.

There is a warrant out for the arrest of James Andrew Wessel, 25, according to a Wednesday news release from the Kamloops RCMP, which notes that he is not originally from that city and “may have left the area.”

In Kamloops, Wessel is facing charges including assault, assault by choking, unlawful confinement, assault causing bodily harm, and uttering threats. He is also facing an assault charge in Burnaby and two charges for breaching the conditions of his release in that jurisdiction.

Wessel is described as a white man standing 5’8” tall, weighing 180 pounds. Anyone with information about his whereabouts or anyone who sees him is urged to contact police immediately. Police are also asking Wessel to turn himself in.

According to publicly available court records, the alleged Kamloops offenses occurred in May of last year, while the alleged Burnaby offences occurred on March 12 of this year. Wessel was released from custody on bail after an appearance in a Vancouver court on March 13, online records show.

All of the files are marked as “K” files, which Crown counsel uses to designate that a case involves intimate partner violence.

A trial on the Kamloops charges is set for June 9, 2025.