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Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke has declared that two high-risk offenders recently released into her city are not welcome there. Her statement came after the Surrey Police Service issued public notices about both men within a 48-hour period, raising fresh concerns about the concentration of high-risk individuals in the community.
Two High-Risk Offenders Released in 48 Hours
The first offender, Jonathon Anders Muzychka, 49, carries a history of violence and property crime. According to the Winnipeg Free Press, Muzychka killed a man during a robbery in 2008 and later escaped from custody following his arrest. In 2021, Victoria police sought him for failing to return to his halfway house. He now lives in Surrey and faces electronic monitoring along with a set of court-imposed conditions.
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The second offender, Skylar Wayne Pelletier, 26, has a history of violent and sexual offences, including offences against women. He is currently serving a five-year long-term supervision order for sexual assault, assault and break and enter. Pelletier told Global News he had been staying at a Surrey facility for several days. He also faces electronic monitoring and strict conditions. When asked whether the public should be concerned, Pelletier said, “I don’t know, it’s what they think, right? It’s up to them. It’s not my decision.”
Mayor Locke Speaks Out
Mayor Locke responded sharply to the back-to-back releases. “It’s very concerning,” she said. “It feels to me like there’s an extraordinary number coming to Surrey, so that is a concern.” She made clear that neither man is welcome in the city.
Meanwhile, Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton, media relations officer for the Surrey Police Service, acknowledged that two releases in two days is unsettling. However, he said the timing is coincidental rather than part of any pattern. Houghton explained that officers meet with offenders when they arrive in Surrey, provided a public interest disclosure applies. “We meet them and advise them that our officers are checking in on them,” he said. “We work very closely with the residents that they are assigned to by the courts and their supervisors as well.” He added that officers also coordinate with bail and parole supervisors to ensure all conditions are being followed.
Rehabilitation Efforts and Past Incidents
The New Vision Society, which works with offenders in the community, told Global News its clients receive close supervision. Jackson Leathem with the organization said the goal is to give offenders a genuine opportunity to change. “We’re trying to give these individuals a chance to rehabilitate, to learn new life skills, to change their thinking, their behaviour, be able to grapple with emotions better,” Leathem said. “It’s important to give these people a fighting chance at rebuilding a new life for themselves.”
The latest releases follow two earlier cases that also drew public attention. In February, 58-year-old high-risk sex offender Marinus Willemse moved to Surrey, prompting a police warning. Willemse, who has multiple convictions including child abduction and sexual assault with a weapon, breached his release within a month. Authorities then transferred him to Winnipeg, where police issued another public warning. In April, Surrey residents received notification about 42-year-old Nathanial Odorjan, a high-risk offender with a history of crimes against women and girls. Less than a month later, authorities accused him of breaching his release conditions. Odorjan remains wanted, and his whereabouts are currently unknown.
For his part, Pelletier said he is making progress and wants to stay out of custody. “You obviously don’t want to go to jail again,” he said. “Yeah, that’s not for me, right? It’s not my thing. I prefer to stay out in the community.” Whether the community shares his optimism remains an open question, as Surrey’s mayor and residents continue to push back against the repeated placement of high-risk offenders in the city.
