Boy charged in random stabbings during violent long weekend

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This article was published 06/08/2024 (772 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two unprovoked stabbings just minutes apart on Friday kicked off a spree of random, violent crime on Winnipeg streets that kept police busy throughout the August long weekend.

The stabbings injured two people and raised alarm among investigators, who believe a 15-year-old boy is responsible for the crimes, Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Pat Saydak said at a news conference Tuesday.

“I can’t speak on the specifics of what was going through his mind or what possible mental health issues he may have, but we find it very concerning,” Saydak said.

“We’re very happy that we made an arrest.”

The youth is in police custody on two charges of assault with a weapon for the attacks that occurred within a few blocks in the Lord Selkirk Park neighbourhood, Saydak said.

The first incident happened on the 400 block of King Street at about 10:15 a.m. A 50-year-old man was walking when the attacker approached him and, without provocation, stabbed him in the upper body, before fleeing. The victim was taken to hospital in stable condition, police said.

About five minutes later, a 27-year-old woman was attacked in a lane near the 700 block of Main Street. She was stabbed repeatedly in her upper and lower body, police said. The woman was taken to hospital in unstable condition and later upgraded to stable.

A police canine unit tracked the male suspect to the 100 block of Lusted Avenue, where he was arrested.

The suspect and the two victims didn’t know each other, Saydak said, adding the boy was not known to police.

In an unrelated case on Saturday, police said a 40-year-old man is responsible for a series of carjackings and robberies in east Winnipeg.

The first incident happened at a store on the 1000 block of Nairn Avenue at about 12:30 p.m.

Saydak said the suspect pulled out a lighter and threatened a cashier as he demanded cash. He fled without getting any money.

Fifteen minutes later, the suspect confronted a woman in her 80s as she sat in her vehicle. The man pulled her out of the vehicle, threw her to the ground and threatened to stab her before fleeing in her vehicle.

The woman suffered serious injuries, police said.

The spree continued into Sunday, when, at about 5:45 a.m., the man confronted a woman at a business on the 1600 block of Regent Avenue West. He threw the victim to the ground in an attempted carjacking, but was unable to start the vehicle because he didn’t have an immobilizer key fob, Saydak said.

The suspect stole the woman’s purse and fled. The woman suffered minor injuries.

Later, at about 7:30 a.m., the man entered a business on the same block and lured a female victim outside by telling her there was something wrong with her parked vehicle. The man punched her several times in the upper body, threatened to kill her and stole the vehicle.

Members of the heavily armed police tactical support team found the vehicle on the 500 block of Selkirk Avenue, and a man was later arrested in the area.

“People need to go about their business as usual. They can’t be afraid of what goes on,” Saydak said when asked about the violent daytime incidents.

The constable noted such attacks are “not normal” and assured the public police “take this matter very seriously.”

Scott Matthew MacCaull is charged with four counts of robbery and single counts of aggravated assault, uttering threats and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. He was detained in custody.

WPS public affairs director Kelly Dehn agreed the weekend crimes are indicative of the trend in Winnipeg, where police data show violent offences increased by 12 per cent in 2023 and 31.4 per cent compared to the five-year average.

“This was a very violent string of attacks, and so yeah, you could say it’s part of that,” he said.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca