Roger "Mad Dog" Caron famous Cornwall native criminal dies at 73

One day before turning 74, notorious Cornwall native criminal Roger Caron passed away. Caron was one of Canada's most notorious criminals known for a series of bank robberies and prison escapes and spent most of his life behind bars. Caron died in hospital on Wednesday, April 11th, 2012.

PHOTO CREDIT - The Ottawa Citizen

Cornwall - April 13, 2012 - One day before turning 74, notorious Cornwall native criminal Roger Caron passed away. Caron was one of Canada's most notorious criminals known for a series of bank robberies and prison escapes and spent most of his life behind bars. Caron died in hospital on Wednesday, April 11th, 2012.

Caron was noted for wearing Richard Nixon or Ronald Reagan masks during heists while carrying a 38-calibre handgun. He would escape prison by jumping out of an open window, sometimes not even knowing what floor he was on. Caron's last sentence was a 20 month term in 2004 for possessing a loaded gun at Rideau Centre in Ottawa.

Caron was released from Maplehurst Corrections Centre in April 2005. At the age of 67, Caron spent some time in Barry’s Bay and later returned to Cornwall to end his days in Sandfield Place nursing home - he suffered from dementia and Parkinson's disease.

This famous criminal was also a celebrated author having written "Go-Boy!", his memoir about the 24 years he spent incarcerated. Caron's novel won the Governor General's award for non-fiction in 1977.