Family ducks for cover after repeated attacks on Valley Gardens home

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This article was published 03/04/2025 (360 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg mother is living in fear after her house was attacked five times in three months in what she believes was a case of mistaken identity.

Tess, whose family moved into the Valley Gardens home in mid-December, said people smashed two front windows, sprayed bear spray and fired shots from an apparent BB gun, leaving pellet marks in glass.

“It’s horrible. My little four-year-old (son) is traumatized,” she told the Free Press on Thursday. “He follows me around the house even during the day. He’s scared ‘the strangers’ are going to come back. They’re causing a lot of pain and trauma to a little boy. I just want it to stop.”

Tess and her landlord, Diana Raynor-Wilson, said they don’t know why the house is being targeted. Tess said there’s no reason her family would be targeted.

“I don’t think this has anything to do with Tess,” Raynor-Wilson said. “It’s got nothing to do with me. It’s just puzzling.”

She was not aware of any trouble or issues involving past tenants.

“I’ve owned this house for five years, and I’ve never had this situation before,” Raynor-Wilson said. “It’s weird that they’re targeting my house. I don’t know if it’s just random because they’re getting away with it and coming back.”

The Winnipeg Police Service major crimes unit is investigating, said Const. Pat Saydak.

Police declined to provide details about the investigation. Neither Tess nor Raynor-Wilson were aware of any arrests as of Thursday. They hope those responsible will be arrested and charged soon.

Following a recent escalation in the attacks, Tess and her husband want to move out and find a new place to live for the family’s safety.

“Which is very unfortunate because my kid is signed up for (a local) school, we really like the area and the (house) is really nice,” she said.

Like those before it, video and audio of the latest attack, which happened at about 10:25 p.m. on March 28, was recorded by a surveillance camera.

It shows two hooded people, who appear to be young, approach the house from a vehicle that was idling in the middle of the street near the end of Tess’ driveway. Both had their faces covered.

One of the attackers uttered the name of a boy or man, along with insults, before one fired about a dozen shots toward the front of the house.

Tess said no one who lives in the house goes by the name that was mentioned. Raynor-Wilson said a father who rented the house before Tess told her no one with that name lived with him.

As the attackers ran back to the waiting vehicle, the one with the gun turned and fired about four more shots. A shout of “lets go, let’s go,” was followed by laughter.

“The police thought it was a BB gun,” Tess said.

The other person in the video appeared to be carrying a canister of bear spray.

Tess opened the curtains in a front window when she heard a ruckus outside.

“That was terrifying. They saw me, and they didn’t stop (firing),” she said.

In incidents in January, one or more people smashed or tried to smash windows, and sprayed bear spray at the house.

Video recorded in the early hours of Jan. 19 showed two people, who also appeared to be young, run up to the house. One pulled out an object that they used to smash a window.

The other person sprayed bear spray through the broken window and toward the front door before both ran off.

A similar incident happened the following night.

Tess said her family felt the effects of bear spray after one of the incidents, but no one was seriously injured in any of the attacks.

Each incident was reported to police, she said.

“They know that it’s a case of mistaken identity,” Tess said.

Fearing the attacks could escalate, she keeps a home security system turned on at all times and she avoids being near her windows at night. She said her landlord installed more cameras.

“Now, it has escalated, and that is what I was worried about,” Tess said.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca