Overview
- B.C. Prosecution Services approved charges on Jan. 27, 2026, after a Surrey Police Service investigation by its Prolific Offender Team.
- Each man faces two counts: attempting to break out of prison with intent to escape and attempting to escape from lawful custody.
- Police say correctional officers observed the bid inside a secure exercise yard on Dec. 7, 2025, and apprehended the inmates before they left the area.
- Dean Wiwchar is a convicted hitman tied to the 2012 Little Italy murder of John Raposo and later admitted roles in additional murder conspiracies, while Harry Christensen pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a 2018 Chilliwack killing.
- Wiwchar previously tried to escape the same facility in July 2022 and received a two-year sentence after a 2024 guilty plea, and he is associated with Rabih “Robby” Alkhalil, who was arrested in Qatar after a 2022 jail break and is expected to be extradited.