News release

Yellowknife RCMP charge two people after compliance check leads to robbery investigation

February 24, 2026 - Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
From: Northwest Territories RCMP

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Two people are in custody after a routine compliance check evolved into a robbery investigation.

On February 20th, Yellowknife RCMP officers were conducting a routine check on a prolific offender to ensure they were complying with the conditions of their release order. Investigators formed grounds to believe that the offender was not staying at and had never been to the address that they were bound to reside at by their court documents.

Officers located the offender, 34-year-old Joshua Desjarlais, a short time later in a vehicle. Desjarlais attempted to flee from police in the vehicle but was not successful and was subsequently arrested and removed from the vehicle by officers.
Further investigation indicated that Desjarlais had stolen the vehicle from a victim at knifepoint and assaulted them, with the assistance of an accomplice, who was later found and arrested.

Joshua Desjarlais, of Yellowknife, has been charged with:

• Robbery with a weapon, contrary to section 344 of the Criminal Code
• Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, contrary to section 88(1) of the Criminal Code
• Uttering threats, contrary to section 264.1(1)(a) of the Criminal Code
• Sexual assault with a weapon, contrary to section 272(1)(a) of the Criminal Code
• Operation of a vehicle while prohibited from doing so, contrary to section 320.18 of the Criminal Code
• Resisting a peace officer, contrary to section 129(a) of the Criminal Code
• (2 counts) Failure to comply with a release order, contrary to section 145(5)(a) of the Criminal Code

He had been released from custody by the courts only one week earlier, on February 16th after being charged with drug and driving related offences.
27-year-old Autumn Baton of Yellowknife has been charged with:

• Robbery with a weapon, contrary to section 344 of the Criminal Code
• Failure to comply with a probation order

Both were held by police for a bail hearing and subsequently remanded into custody.

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