Justin Trudeau
Justin Trudeau

The Canadian Press

OTTAWA:  A man who entered Justin Trudeau’s Ottawa home earlier this month made a drunken mistake and won’t be charged, police said Tuesday.

The Ottawa Police Service said they are satisfied that the intoxicated 19-year-old wandered into the wrong house unintentionally, believing he was at a friend’s home.

“He had no idea who the residents were,” said Staff Sgt. Kal Ghadban. “This was not a targeted home.

“He didn’t realize it and we believe he did not know whose house it was until Friday.”

Ghadban played down the fact that the young man left a note near a collection of knives, saying that _ for a fleeting moment _ the man considered stealing the cutlery along with an electronic device that police refused to identify.

“There was a momentary thought process that before he left he would actually take some items with him, which was very short-lived,” said Ghadban.

“He immediately decided against that.”

Police said nothing was removed from the house.

As for the note and a suggestion contained in it that the family should lock their doors at night, police said while it appeared on the surface to be threatening, it was instead an act of remorse from the man over entering the house.

Trudeau was out of town when the incident happened, but his wife and children were asleep upstairs.

Police said an individual came forward on Friday after they released video footage of a suspect.

They said the man has been cautioned and the case is closed.

The intruder, who has not been identified, wrote to the Trudeau family to apologize, although it was unclear whether the family had received his note.

“During the interview (on Friday) he did ask for an opportunity to write a letter of apology,” said Ghadban.

“I don’t know whether that has made its way from the investigators to the residents or not … but he did write an apology letter.”

The incident raised questions about whether Trudeau and his family need a security detail, as the prime minister has.

RCMP have not said whether they are still looking into the possibility of providing close protection to the Liberal leader.

But it appears that the Liberals are satisfied with the closure of the police investigation.

“This a police matter and they have made the determination to not press charges,” said Trudeau spokeswoman Kate Purchase.

“We fully respect the Ottawa Police Services’ responsibility to make this determination.”

© 2014 The Canadian Press