News Results for Josh Bredo aka Josh Baba son of Karen Baba in Okotoks Alberta
A former Prince George man with a shady history is the key suspect in the stabbing death of a 20-year-old man in Victoria, according to two B.C. media outlets.
The Victoria Times-Colonist and Vancouver Sun have reported Joshua Tyler Bredo aka Joshua Baba aka Josh Chartier aka Josh Mitchell, 26, is the key suspect in the death of Daniel Jordan Levesque, 20, of Saanich. The newspapers did not cite the source of their information.
The Victoria Police Department confirmed they have a 26-year-old man in custody regarding the case, but had not laid charges as of press time. Police report the suspect is expected to appear in court on Aug. 18.
Police were called to an apartment in the 700-block of Cormorant Street in Victoria on Wednesday shortly after 5 p.m. There, police found Levesque and the suspect both suffering from stab wounds.
Levesque was in critical condition and died at Victoria General Hospital. The suspect was treated at the hospital for serious injuries and released into police custody Wednesday night.
Calls to Bredo’s family in Prince George were not returned as of press time. However, one family member, who agreed to speak anonymously, said Bredo has been estranged from his family for years.
The family member described Bredo as a “psycho sociopath,” and alleged Bredo had previous trouble with the law.
Soldier’s family hurt
In Prince George, Bredo is best known for his involvement with the family of fallen soldier Cpl. Matthew McCully.
Bredo, then using the name Baba, pledged $10,000 of his own money to start the Matthew McCully Foundation in October, 2007.
In August, 2008 the McCullys came forward to say Bredo left them with surprise bills of about $2,300 they had to pay for themselves after a theatre performance was held and a gala dinner was planned then canceled with only days notice.
“Things happened, all in the name of our foundation, that muddied the name of a Canadian hero, my son, who gave his life in service for our country,” Ron McCully told the Citizen in 2008. “We feel embarrassed, ashamed, and we don’t know what to do to get back on track.”
One of the chief concerns of the McCully family was the belief they had been given by Bredo, who was leading the arrangements for the gala dinner, that the guest of honour was going to be then-Governor General Michalle Jean. They were alerted by the RCMP that no security orders, which would always accompany a visit by the governor general, had been made for the visit.
Bredo told The Citizen at the time that he would be happy to help tie up any loose ends back in Prince George, like the alleged bills.
“I have been made aware of that as well, and steps are being taken to look into that and rectify those situations,” he said. “I am still gathering information myself and if there were communication errors, or errors at all, they will be recognized and taken care of immediately.”
The McCully’s came forward after seeing Bredo on television in Calgary promising to pledge $10,000 to launch an anti-crime initiative called Stand Up Calgary.
The movement was an echo of the unsuccessful Stand Up Prince George movement which Bredo attempted to launch in August, 2007. Bredo said the goal to was to take action and show civic leadership on issues like crime and poverty in the city.
Political animal
Bredo first appeared in the press in October 2001 as the local spokesperson for the local Young Liberals of Canada. Bredo, then 16, was attending College Heights secondary school.
In June, 2004 Bredo worked as a campaign employee for Conservative MP Dick Harris. Later that year Bredo and others raised allegations that Harris had engaged in improprieties during the party’s candidate selection process, including an alleged scheme to procure federal government money for bogus service contracts.
RCMP investigated the allegations and cleared Harris of wrongdoing.
In June, 2009 Calgary mayoral candidate George Dadamo pulled his name from the running after the Calgary Herald revealed Bredo’s past. Dadamo, a former Ontario New Democrat, had hired as Bredo as his executive assistant.
In August, 2010 The Cranbrook Daily Townsman reported Bredo, using the name Josh Chartier, had surfaced there working for federal Conservative nominee David Wilks.
Wilks said he hired Bredo to work on his campaign briefly, but was left holding the bill for signs, pictures and a website he didn’t realize Bredo had created.
Earlier that month, the City of Cranbrook had issued a press release stating the city had no affiliation with a pair of events Bredo was promoting in the city.
“Be it known, the corporation of the City of Cranbrook, Mayor Scott Manjak, members of council and city administration have no affiliation with this individual in any way and have provided no endorsement (implied or otherwise) for his business activities and solicitation,” the statement said.
Bredo has operated several businesses including Pacific Media Group and Baba Media Communications
Killing suspect jolted many lives
A gritty trail of lies and bad feelings emerges amid a tragedy that claimed a passionate guitarist
Sandra McCulloch and Kathryn Burnham, Times Colonist; With Files From Postmedia News
Published: Saturday, August 06, 2011
Joshua Tyler Bredo, arrested as a suspect in the of killing 20-year-old Daniel Jordan Levesque at a Cormorant Street condo, has scorched a trail of lies and bad feelings with many people who have crossed his path, including politicians and family members in Prince George.
Bredo, 26, has a number of aliases and a history of money troubles, said Steve Head, who is married to the mother of Bredo's father.
Bredo's mother has remarried and lives in Alberta. He has a brother and sister.
"He hasn't had anything to do with family for years," said Head, from Prince George.
"It's much easier on your whole life not to be involved with him."
The last time Head was asked about Bredo was when he ran into trouble assisting a candidate for mayor in Calgary.
In 2009, Bredo was briefly employed as an assistant to George Dadamo, formerly an Ontario MPP who was running for Calgary mayor. Bredo misled Dadamo as to his connections with a major oilpatch player. Dadamo fired Bredo and later dropped out of the mayoral race.
Then, a couple of years ago and out of the blue, Bredo was on the phone to his grandmother.
"I said 'Don't give him any money,' " Head said.
"The whole family's glad to be rid of him because he's a real bad con artist."
Head said he was told that Bredo was in Victoria working for the tourism ministry.
But there is no listing for a Bredo in the online government directory.
Bredo is also known by other aliases across B.C. and Alberta, including Joshua Baba, Joshua Chartier and Josh Mitchell.
Former Sparwood mayor David Wilks, who ran and won the nomination for Conservative MP for Kootenay-Columbia, was left with the bill for campaign items he hadn't planned to order.
Joshua Chartier had offered his services for the campaign in the summer of 2010, but left when he learned that Wilks was formerly an RCMP officer.
Chartier, and his aliases, was well known in that area in August 2010 for unauthorized solicitation of funds for the City of Cranbrook. This led the city to release a warning about him.
He ran afoul of the Wildrose Alliance political party in Alberta, the father of a Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan, and two Prince George business owners, mostly for unkept promises and outstanding bills.
Levesque's family in Revelstoke is trying to come to grips with his sudden death.
"His passion was music and he did some recording," said his grandmother, Michelle Levesque.
"He was a good little guitar player. His dream was to be a musician and play in a band.
"He had so many dreams and now they're snuffed out."
In Victoria, Levesque could be found playing the open mic night Tuesdays at Baja Surf Grill.
"Everybody liked him, so he wouldn't stop playing," said manager Dan Elliot.
He was a regular customer who went in for tacos and a beer or rum and coke, often accompanied by Bredo.
"They seemed like best friends," Elliot said.
Levesque worked for Bredo in some capacity, said Michelle. Bredo told Levesque his parents were lawyers and owned the high-end condo on Cormorant Street where Levesque was stabbed on Wednesday.
Levesque was taken to hospital where he died. Bredo was also taken to hospital; he was later released into the custody of police.
Michelle said she and her grandson had chatted online about Bredo.
"Daniel was telling me one time 'He gives me everything and he loves me.' I said 'What kind of love?' and he started laughing and said 'Don't worry, Grandma, he's got a girlfriend.' "
The last time she saw Levesque was June 1, when she said goodbye to him at Revelstoke airport.
Daniel was expected to be back for a visit in a few weeks, with airline tickets being bought by Bredo.
Bredo's next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 18.
© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2011
Victim was a friend, a budding musician
By Erin Cardone - Victoria News
Published: August 09, 2011 11:00 AM
Updated: August 09, 2011 11:45 AM
Hundreds of people gathered at a memorial to remember a young man killed in Victoria – just three months after he arrived in B.C.’s capital.
Daniel Jordan Levesque, 20, died from fatal wounds after an incident on the evening of Aug. 3. Joshua Tyler Bredo, 26, of Victoria, who was also in the condo that evening, was arrested and faces a possible murder charge. Crown counsel has yet to approve that charge. His next court date is Aug. 18.
At about 5 p.m. on Aug. 3, someone from the Corazon apartment building at 732 Cormorant St. called 911. Police and paramedics attended the scene. Levesque and Bredo were both rushed to Victoria General Hospital with unknown wounds, where Levesque, 20, later died from his injuries.
The incident was initially reported as a double-stabbing but is now being considered an altercation. The cause of Levesque’s death has not been determined but it is still being investigated as a homicide, said Const. Mike Russell of the Victoria police.
Russell called the scene “chaotic” when officers arrived. Initially, police had difficulties gaining access to the building, due to its security system. Eventually, a resident leaving the building let officers inside.
In the suite, both men were bleeding. Levesque was in critical condition. Bredo was in serious condition, but was conscious. He was released from hospital later that night and was transferred directly to police custody.
Russell said, “We don’t have any indication of motive right now. Our officers are waiting to interview this male and see where the investigation goes from there.”
Russell couldn’t confirm whether weapons were found in the suite, or what might have been used in the attack.
The memorial was held in Revelstoke on Friday – the community where Levesque grew up.
Levesque was a first-born child who was “quite loved and spoiled by everybody,” his mother Stacey Thur said in an interview. She described him as a “sweet little boy, very smart for his age, way beyond his years, talked a mile-a-minute, very chatty and friends with everybody.”
He was also one of the funniest people she knew. “He always made me laugh,” she said.
“Everybody loved him,” she told Black Press. “He was full of compassion and caring and he was loyal to a fault.”
For Thur, Levesque’s death is doubly hard to take; this is the second son she has lost. “I buried his brother 16 years ago. I wasn’t ready to bury another one.”
Music was always a big part of his life. He could sing before he could talk, his mother recalled, and once his report card from swimming lessons said, “Daniel needs to sing less and swim more.”
“Ever since I first met him he’s always been playing guitar,” said one of his best friends, Julian Romeo.
“He would always play the mom role, making sure we were all being safe” Romeo said. “He got me out of trouble a lot of times.”
Thur last saw Levesque last Sunday, just days before his death and she said life was going well for Levesque in Victoria. He recently had a piece of poetry published in Scratch Magazine and performed live around the city, including at the Baja Surf Grill on Yates Street.
The day of his death, he started a new job with a local law firm that would allow him to stay in the city he was starting to love, she said.
Candidate pulls out of mayoral race
KATIE SCHNEIDER
Just three days after announcing he was running for mayor, George Dadamo is pulling out of the race.
The former Ontario NDP MPP announced his candidacy for the city's top job Tuesday, but decided to halt his bid for mayor in the 2010 election because of controversy surrounding the 24-year-old man he made his assistant, Josh Bredo, who also went by the name Joshua Baba.
Among other controversies, Bredo has been accused of swindling money from an Ontario man whose son died in Afghanistan after never delivering on a promise to kickstart the foundation in the young soldier's name.
Dadamo learned of the accusations Tuesday, the day he announced his candidacy.
"I trusted him like a son and all of a sudden this broke loose," Dadamo said.
He said the best decision was just to pull out of the mayoral race before the campaign was damaged.
"There's information people will hold on to as we fundraise or knock on doors," he said.
"I don't want to carry his burden on my shoulders."
The former Ontario NDP MPP announced his candidacy for the city's top job Tuesday, but decided to halt his bid for mayor in the 2010 election because of controversy surrounding the 24-year-old man he made his assistant, Josh Bredo, who also went by the name Joshua Baba.
Among other controversies, Bredo has been accused of swindling money from an Ontario man whose son died in Afghanistan after never delivering on a promise to kickstart the foundation in the young soldier's name.
Dadamo learned of the accusations Tuesday, the day he announced his candidacy.
"I trusted him like a son and all of a sudden this broke loose," Dadamo said.
He said the best decision was just to pull out of the mayoral race before the campaign was damaged.
"There's information people will hold on to as we fundraise or knock on doors," he said.
"I don't want to carry his burden on my shoulders."
Arthur WILLIAMS
Citizen staff
awilliams@pgcitizen.ca
A former Prince George man with a shady history is the key suspect in the stabbing death of a 20-year-old man in Victoria, according to two B.C. media outlets.
The Victoria Times-Colonist and Vancouver Sun have reported Joshua Tyler Bredo aka Joshua Baba aka Josh Chartier aka Josh Mitchell, 26, is the key suspect in the death of Daniel Jordan Levesque, 20, of Saanich. The newspapers did not cite the source of their information. The Victoria Police Department confirmed they have a 26-year-old man in custody regarding the case, but had not laid charges as of press time. Police report the suspect is expected to appear in court on Aug. 18. Police were called to an apartment in the 700-block of Cormorant Street in Victoria on Wednesday shortly after 5 p.m. There, police found Levesque and the suspect both suffering from stab wounds. Levesque was in critical condition and died at Victoria General Hospital. The suspect was treated at the hospital for serious injuries and released into police custody Wednesday night. Calls to Bredo’s family in Prince George were not returned as of press time. However, one family member, who agreed to speak anonymously, said Bredo has been estranged from his family for years. The family member described Bredo as a “psycho sociopath,” and alleged Bredo had previous trouble with the law. Soldier’s family hurt In Prince George, Bredo is best known for his involvement with the family of fallen soldier Cpl. Matthew McCully. Bredo, then using the name Baba, pledged $10,000 of his own money to start the Matthew McCully Foundation in October, 2007. In August, 2008 the McCullys came forward to say Bredo left them with surprise bills of about $2,300 they had to pay for themselves after a theatre performance was held and a gala dinner was planned then canceled with only days notice. “Things happened, all in the name of our foundation, that muddied the name of a Canadian hero, my son, who gave his life in service for our country,” Ron McCully told the Citizen in 2008. “We feel embarrassed, ashamed, and we don’t know what to do to get back on track.” One of the chief concerns of the McCully family was the belief they had been given by Bredo, who was leading the arrangements for the gala dinner, that the guest of honour was going to be then-Governor General Michalle Jean. They were alerted by the RCMP that no security orders, which would always accompany a visit by the governor general, had been made for the visit. Bredo told The Citizen at the time that he would be happy to help tie up any loose ends back in Prince George, like the alleged bills. “I have been made aware of that as well, and steps are being taken to look into that and rectify those situations,” he said. “I am still gathering information myself and if there were communication errors, or errors at all, they will be recognized and taken care of immediately.” The McCully’s came forward after seeing Bredo on television in Calgary promising to pledge $10,000 to launch an anti-crime initiative called Stand Up Calgary. The movement was an echo of the unsuccessful Stand Up Prince George movement which Bredo attempted to launch in August, 2007. Bredo said the goal to was to take action and show civic leadership on issues like crime and poverty in the city. Political animal Bredo first appeared in the press in October 2001 as the local spokesperson for the local Young Liberals of Canada. Bredo, then 16, was attending College Heights secondary school. In June, 2004 Bredo worked as a campaign employee for Conservative MP Dick Harris. Later that year Bredo and others raised allegations that Harris had engaged in improprieties during the party’s candidate selection process, including an alleged scheme to procure federal government money for bogus service contracts. RCMP investigated the allegations and cleared Harris of wrongdoing. In June, 2009 Calgary mayoral candidate George Dadamo pulled his name from the running after the Calgary Herald revealed Bredo’s past. Dadamo, a former Ontario New Democrat, had hired as Bredo as his executive assistant. In August, 2010 The Cranbrook Daily Townsman reported Bredo, using the name Josh Chartier, had surfaced there working for federal Conservative nominee David Wilks. Wilks said he hired Bredo to work on his campaign briefly, but was left holding the bill for signs, pictures and a website he didn’t realize Bredo had created. Earlier that month, the City of Cranbrook had issued a press release stating the city had no affiliation with a pair of events Bredo was promoting in the city. “Be it known, the corporation of the City of Cranbrook, Mayor Scott Manjak, members of council and city administration have no affiliation with this individual in any way and have provided no endorsement (implied or otherwise) for his business activities and solicitation,” the statement said. Bredo has operated several businesses including Pacific Media Group and Baba Media Communications.
