Abbotsford Police are on the hunt for an alleged gang associate they've deemed a "public safety concern" for the community.

Chadwyn "Chad" Marcus Weber is at large and wanted for robbery, forcible confinement and kidnapping.

Weber, 35, was arrested and charged after a 28-year-old man was assaulted, robbed, threatened, and forced from his vehicle on July 23, 2012.

Prior to that, in April, Weber was the subject of an APD public warning, as police believed he was a possible target for gang violence.

Const. Ian MacDonald said the public safety concerns about Weber have only heightened with the recent spate of homicides that rocked the Lower Mainland last weekend.

Investigators are dealing with five murders in three separate incidents in Hope and Surrey on Sunday.

"If anything, our public safety concerns [about Weber] are more amplified with the recent acts of violence," said MacDonald.

Weber's whereabouts are unknown but police suspect he hasn't strayed too far from Abbotsford.

"Our best guess is he's staying mobile and changing residences regularly, but we believe he's still here in the Fraser Valley."

Weber was in jailed for two months in July 2011 for possession for the purpose of trafficking after he was busted in an APD raid that netted cocaine, cash and two bulletproof vests.

Police described Weber, who has had affiliations with a number of gangs, as one of the individuals "jockeying" to control the Abbotsford drug trade.

- Anyone seeing Weber should not approach him but contact the Abbotsford Police at 604-859-5225 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

RBaker@abbotsfordtimes.com

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