Warrant issued

Thunder Bay Police have a man in custody and issued a Canada-wide warrant for a second suspect after an alleged assault and kidnapping incident Wednesday morning at a north-side hotel.

The 45-year-old victim, who police have not identified but said knew his alleged attackers, was taken to Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre with non-life-threatening injuries and has since been released.

Police did not give details on the exact nature of the injuries.

"The specifics of that are still being investigated and the matter is still before the courts," TBPS Staff Sgt. Don Lewis told reporters on Friday afternoon.

Police arrested 25-year-old Steven Nelson Leeson at 2 a.m. on Friday morning without incident at a residence in the 400 block of Northern Avenue.

The suspect, who was known to police, was charged with kidnapping and assault causing bodily harm.

Lewis said police are still seeking 36-year-old Emillio John Bisignano, who they describe as standing 5-foot-8, weighing in at about 214 pounds with short, dark hair.

Lewis added there’s no reason to believe Bisignano has fled Thunder Bay, but the Canada-wide warrant was issued as a precautionary measure. Bisignano is also known to police, but is not considered armed and dangerous.

However, Lewis said anyone spotting him should not approach the man.

"The best advice we could give is not to approach Mr. Bisignano and phone the police," Lewis said.

The call for response at the Sea Vue Motel came from a tip phoned into police by someone in an adjacent room, Lewis said.

"A person where (the victim) was located phoned in and we located him in a north ward motel, in a room," Lewis said.

The suspects had fled the hotel by the time police arrived.

A woman identifying herself as the manager of the Sea Vue Motel, but who wouldn’t give her name, confirmed the victim was not a guest of the hotel, but that someone else had rented the institutional-yellow room 23, where the incident occurred.

Lewis could not reveal the details of the relationship between the victim and his alleged attackers.

"We can’t disclose that at this point," Lewis said, noting this is a rare kidnapping case they’ve been called to investigate. "We don’t often see that."

Lewis guessed the victim was held hostage for about two hours.

"It would be a matter of a couple of hours at this point, until we are able to determine exactly what time they were seen arriving at the motel," Lewis said.

Leeson’s first court date is on Monday.

None of the accusations against the suspects have been proven in a court of law.