A Brow of the Hill resident was assaulted in his yard by a suspect allegedly wielding a piece of an aluminum railing.
New West police attended a residence in the 200 block of Mowat Street about 4:15 p.m. on Sunday, July 17, after receiving a call about an assault in process. The person who called 911 said they’d just seen a man enter the backyard of a residence and strike another man in the head with a piece of aluminum railing.
“The victim was transported to local hospital,” Hailey Finnigan, the police department’s strategic communications coordinator, said in an email to the Record. “The victim was assaulted at his home, in the backyard.”
According to the New Westminster Police Department, when patrol officers arrived on scene they couldn’t locate anyone matching the suspect’s description in the area. Patrol officers obtained CCTV footage of the assault and recognized the suspect, who was located the following day and arrested without incident.
“The person who witnessed this did absolutely the right thing in calling 911, and thanks to proactive police work, patrol officers recognized this suspect and were able to quickly locate them and arrest them,” said NWPD spokesperson Sgt. Justine Thom.
New Westminster police say the suspect isn’t known to the victim.
Merrick Holowka, a 32-year-old Burnaby resident has been charged with assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm. As of July 20, the suspect remained in custody.
The New Westminster Police Department thanks the resident who called 911 and encourages other residents who witness crimes in progress to do the same.
