Canada-wide warrant issued for sex offender who didn't return to Vancouver halfway house

Police say a Canada-wide warrant has been issued for a convicted sex offender who did not return to his halfway house in Vancouver on Wednesday.

The Vancouver Police Department said in a news release that Dean Robert Merrick , 58, left the halfway house in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside just before 9:30 a.m. PT on Dec. 31 for an appointment on Commercial Drive. He did not return.

Merrick served an 18-year sentence for sexual offences, the department said.

Police say he is bald with brown hair that is greying on the sides and has blue eyes. He has multiple tattoos, including a flag and a cowboy on his left arm. He is six-foot-two and weighs around 200 pounds, according to police.

Investigators believe he may be wearing a black jacket, white T-shirt, green cargo pants, a black ball cap and grey-and-black running shoes.

Anyone who sees Merrick or knows of his whereabouts is asked to call 911.