A 19-year-old man is in a coma and isn’t suspected to survive a “completely random” attack near the 22nd Street SkyTrain station.
Members of the New Westminster Police Department were called to the area of 23rd Street and Eighth Avenue about 7:45 p.m. on Dec. 17, where they found a badly injured male who appeared to be the victim of an assault. The victim was transported to the hospital.
“IHIT has taken conduct of this case in New Westminster due to the serious condition of the victim who is not expected to survive,” stated a press release from the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team. “At this time we are processing the crime scene and are gathering the initial details surrounding this incident.”
A 16-year-old person was arrested shortly after the offence took place. The suspect has since been charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon.
“The apparent motive for this tragic incident was an attempted robbery. … At this point we have no information to suggest that the victim and the suspect were known to each other,” said Sgt. Bari Eman of the homicide unit.
The assault has rattled residents of the Connaught Heights Neighbourhood.
“We have a significant portion of our community blocked off,” said Kris Taylor, president of the residents’ association. “Even last night, I was walking to the SkyTrain and there were five police cars there. It is obviously an issue.”
Taylor is contacting IHIT and New Westminster Police with the hopes of having a police officer attend a meeting to provide the community with information about the incident.
“This was something that happened outside,” he said. “It is not like they were called to a residence.”
Taylor advises anyone interested in attending an emergency meeting of the Connaught Height Residents’ Association on the matter to email [email protected] and put “subscribe” in the subject line.
Eman said police are hoping witnesses will come forward to help with the investigation.
“In terms of the area itself, it looks like this was a completely random attack on the victim," Emam told The Record. "Same with the suspect, I don’t know how or why he ended up there. It’s not like he or anyone in the area are looking to victimize further people In terms of public safety, we don’t have any message of caution or anything like that. The area that it happened, it speaks nothing to the offence. There is no good reason for this offence to happen in this area. If this young man was trying to rob somebody, it just happened this was the area he chose, as far as we are concerned, for no good reason.”
Police are asking anyone who was in the area of 23rd Street and Eighth Avenue in New Westminster between 7 and 8 p.m. who may have witnessed this incident to please call the IHIT tipline at 1-877-551-4448 by email at [email protected]. If you wish to remain anonymous you can call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leave a tip on their website at Solvecrime.ca.
