A local man has been charged in connection with Grande Prairie’s second homicide of the year. 30 year old Michael Ginter is facing a count of second degree murder and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
On Saturday afternoon, 34 year old Nikkolas Steenhuisen of Abbotsford came out of the Home Hardware in Grande Prairie to find a stranger in his truck. He confronted the man, who ran to another truck and tried to drive away. Steenhuisen tried to stop him and was on the truck’s running board when it hit a parked vehicle, pinning him between the two.
The suspect drove off and left the married father of three young children severely injured in the parking lot. Emergency services was called and Steenhuisen was taken to the QEII Hospital in Grande Prairie. He was later transported by STARS Air Ambulance to Edmonton, but he succumbed to his injuries en route.
Later that day, RCMP found a burned out pickup truck in a rural area outside of the city. Officers determined it was the same truck that was involved in the parking lot altercation, and that it was a stolen vehicle. That information, along with evidence from the scene and witnesses, led police to arrest Ginter on Monday.
He remains in custody and will appear in court on Friday, May 20th. The deceased’s family says they are thankful for the support they’ve gotten from the public.