Nemaska man charged with beating taxi driver
By Steve Bonspiel

Charlie Robert Junior Trapper might be spending his holidays in jail.

Trapper, 21, was coming out of a bar in Chibougamau on December 9 when he decided to jump into a cab and head towards Nemaska. His modus operandi became clearer once they got on the Route du Nord, the Sureté de Québec alleges.

“That is when he attacked the driver, and took the car,” said SQ spokesperson Pierre Lavoie. The 65-year-old driver ended up with severe bruises on his face, Lavoie told the Nation, after allegedly receiving numerous punches to the head from Trapper.

“I saw pictures and his face had cuts on it and his eyes were swollen,” he said.

After hitting the ditch about 60 kilometres from Chibougamau, Trapper got out of the car and tried to hitchhike to Nemaska. The person who picked him up noticed the blood and called the SQ.

The SQ arrested Trapper a few hours later and he was being detained at press time.

He faces several charges, including robbery, assault with injury, breaking probation and assaulting a police officer.

Trapper was also charged with damaging police property and evading arrest as he kicked out a window of the SQ cruiser and tried to get away. He was quickly caught and brought to a holding cell in Roberval.

Trapper was on probation for similar charges of auto theft when the incident occurred.

He was to appear at a bail hearing in mid-December in Roberval.