A prolific offender in Abbotsford who was charged a month ago with speeding away from police and crashing into two cars is now facing new charges for similar incidents less than three weeks later.
Russell Mayhew, 38, faces six new charges – two counts of dangerous driving, two counts of driving while disqualified and two counts of fleeing from police – from Jan. 25 and 26.
Sgt. Paul Walker, media officer with the Abbotsford Police Department, said officers were in the 32100 block of Marshall Road at around 1 p.m. on Jan. 26 when they noticed a vehicle that had been involved in two previous incidents of fleeing from police.
Walker said the officers recognized the man in the driver’s seat.
The man sped away, “making evasive manoeuvres and fleeing the area to avoid being arrested,” Walker said.
He said police did not pursue the vehicle “for public safety reasons.”
Police located and arrested Mayhew on Feb. 8 in relation to the incident. He remains in custody at this time.
Mayhew was one of two men previously arrested and charged following an incident on Jan. 8.
At that time, officers tried to stop a vehicle – which they believed to be linked to the drug trade – near the Lonzo Shelter on Lonzo Road in east Abbotsford.
Police said the driver crashed through a fence and sped away.
The car then crashed into two civilian vehicles at the intersection of Vedder Way and Marshall Road.
Two occupants of the vehicle ran away but were found and arrested.
The vehicle was confirmed to be stolen, and a search of the car turned up a gun, police said.
Mayhew was charged with resisting a peace officer, while his co-accused, Benjamin Aubin, was charged with five offences – possession of stolen property under $5,000, fleeing from police, dangerous driving, resisting a peace officer and breaching his probation.
According to court records, Mayhew was released on Jan. 9, while Aubin remains in custody.
Mayhew has an extensive criminal history and has previously been described police as “gang-involved.”
His long list of prior convictions, dating back to 2005, include drug possession and trafficking, break-and-enter, assault (including several domestic), armed robbery, assault with a weapon, driving while prohibited, dangerous driving, gun possession, resisting a peace officer, and breaching his bail and probation conditions.
