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Mahoney, originally from Conception Bay, N.L., has been charged with participating in a riot, assault, assault with a weapon and mischief, said Insp. Laurence Rankin. Two officers travelled to Saskatchewan to make the arrest and were expected to return with Mahoney on Wednesday afternoon, said Rankin.

“He was certainly aware of what’s going on and we extended the opportunity to meet with him, and he chose not to,” said Rankin.

“I don’t want to speculate any more other than to say that he did move a lot, and it leaves one to wonder if it was because he didn’t want to be tracked down.”

Mahoney is charged in the assault of Robert MacKay, who was swarmed, beaten and pepper sprayed on June 15, 2011, as violence and lawlessness swept across several blocks of downtown Vancouver in the hours after the Canucks lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final.

Police have recommended charges against all 15 suspects in the MacKay beating; of those, charges have so far been approved against 11 adults and two youth.

Mahoney was working in Vancouver at the time of the riot, but later moved to Manitoba, his hometown of Conception Bay, N.L., and finally to Lanigan, Sask., where he was working at a potash mine, said Rankin.

Rankin said he had a chance to speak with MacKay and tell him the news.

“He’s very happy to see that we’ve continued to see it through,” said Rankin.

“Like a lot of the victims, not only the ones that were assaulted but victims of property crime, they were very relieved that we’re continuing the investigation. It’s been a year and a half, it’s been a long haul, but we’re continuing to do so because we haven’t forgotten or lost sight of the victims in this.”