THUNDER BAY - One of three individuals accused in a 2020 shooting incident that sent one person to hospital with serious injuries has been sentenced to five years in custody.
Jacob Wattie, 25, of Thunder Bay was initially charged with attempted murder following an incident on May 3 when police were notified of an individual who crashed into a barricade at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
The individual’s injuries were said to be serious and the investigation determined they were sustained prior to the incident at the hospital and were the result of firearm.
As the investigation continued, Wattie was arrested on May 11 and charged with attempted murder, careless use of a firearm, possession of a firearm with knowledge that its possession is unauthorized, prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition, unauthorized possession of a firearm, two counts of breach of probation, and two counts of possession of a firearm contrary to a prohibition order.
Natalie Marie Salatino, 29, of Thunder Bay and 29-year-old Molly O’Brien of Peterborough, Ont. were also arrested on May 11 and charged with numerous firearms and breach of probation related offences, but all those charges have since been withdrawn.
Terry Allen Pelto, 32, of Thunder Bay and 28-year-old Brandon Kelly of Demherstville, Ont. were also arrested in connection to the May 3 incident.
Pelto is facing charges including attempted murder, unauthorized possession of a firearm, and three counts of possession of weapon while under a prohibition order.
Kelly was also charged with attempted murder, as well as unauthorized possession of a firearm, two counts of possession of a weapon while under a prohibition order, and failing to comply with a probation order.
On May 28, Wattie pleaded guilty to charges of possession of a firearm while prohibited and using a restricted firearm for robbery. All other charges were withdrawn.
On June 24, Wattie was sentenced to five years in custody. With pre-sentence custody credited at two years and 20 days, Wattie will remain in custody for another two years and 345 days.
He is also required to submit a DNA sample and is subject to a lifetime weapons prohibition.
Wattie was also charged by the Ontario Provincial Police in November 2020 with three counts of trafficking a schedule one substance following an investigation into the April 2020 death of a 29-year-old Longlac man from a suspected overdose.
Pelto and Kelly will appear in court later this year to answer to the charges.