RCMP looking to find grey Honda in search for father and daughter
North Cowichan-Duncan RCMP want the public to look out for a grey Honda Civic with “distinctive, Christianityfocused” stickers as officers search for a father in breach of a custody order and his young daughter.
Police said family reported Jesse Bennett, 36, and Violet Bennett, seven, missing on Monday from Bennett’s home in North Cowichan. Family and police have not been able to make contact with Bennett, RCMP said.
He is believed to be evading police after a shared custody agreement was reached last week and Bennett failed to return the girl to her mother in line with the court order.
Violet’s mother, Roget Jade Hall, says Bennett has withheld the girl from her since early October, but an earlier custody agreement was not enforceable by police and there was nothing she could do to see her daughter.
RCMP said they have received “a large number of possible sightings” of the pair on the Island, the Lower Mainland and southeastern B.C.
They want people to keep an eye out for the vehicle Bennett is believed to be driving, a 2005 grey Honda Civic, four-door sedan with a B.C. licence plate, HL1 11E.
The vehicle has “distinctive, Christianity-focused stickers on the back,” RCMP said.
“We have no reason to believe that Violet is in danger, but she is supposed to be with her mother and that is the primary goal at this time, to locate Violet and return her to her mother, as the court has ordered,” North Cowichan-Duncan RCMP said in a statement.
“Police believe that Jesse is evading contact in order to keep Violet with him.”