Victim in machete attack thought city would be ‘safer than Brazil’

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/10/2024 (365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ariel Martes’s family moved from Brazil to Winnipeg six years ago to build a new life, in part out of concern over violence in their home country.

But the family of four’s sense of safety in East Kildonan was rocked earlier this month when the 22-year-old man was robbed and slashed with a machete at Roch Street and Cheriton Avenue, despite handing over all of what his two assailants demanded.

The attack left him with damaged tendons in his left hand and a deep gash just below the left knee, injuries he’s slowly recovering from.

Two robbers stopped Ariel Martes, who was on his way home from his job as a server at a hotel, shortly after midnight on Oct. 11 and asked him the time.

Within seconds, he was being held at gunpoint, he told the Free Press.

“The guy pointed a gun at me and said, ‘Give us everything you have. Give us everything you have,’ I gave my phone. I gave my AirPods,” Martes said.

“The other guy comes with a machete, hits my leg, tries to hit my head. I defended with my arm, and they started yelling… I gave them my phone, my AirPods, but they still wanted more, more.”

Martes pleaded with the robbers, who he described as males in their teens to early 20s, to let him leave alone. Eventually, they walked off towards Henderson Highway, leaving him alone to bleed.

After trying to knock on the doors of nearby homes and wave down cars for help, Martes was forced to walk a kilometre to his home, where he shouted for his older brother, having lost too much strength to even open the door, he said.

“I was thinking, my mom’s going to miss me… after that I started walking home… The only thing I (thought) was, ‘I’m going to leave my parents behind,” Martes said, adding he lost a litre-and-a-half of blood.

“I could not leave those people that worry about me behind. I was thinking I need to get home, I need to see my mom, even if it’s the last thing I do.”

Paramedics and Winnipeg police quickly arrived after his parents phoned 911. Martes was rushed to hospital, where he later underwent surgery to repair three tendons in his left hand.

Winnipeg Police Service major crimes detectives are investigating the incident, a spokeswoman said Friday, but offered no further details. No arrests have been made.

Martes is having difficulty moving his hand, and it remains painful to walk, he said, but doctors told him he’s expected to recover.

“I was thinking, my mom’s going to miss me… after that I started walking home… The only thing I (thought) was, ‘I’m going to leave my parents behind.”–Ariel Martes

He is frustrated by the violent robbery.

“I work hard. I was just doing my job. I just got a (new) job one month earlier. It is frustrating that people just attack people for a couple of dollars when they can just get a job like me,” Martes said.

“They could also get a job. It’s frustrating that they go for violence instead of trying to get a real job.”

He called the attack heartbreaking and noted his family moved to Canada in part out of fear of violence.

“I moved from Brazil because of the violence that happened there… I could not walk on the street and feel safe. I moved to Winnipeg thinking, ‘Hey, it’s going to be safer than Brazil,” he said.

Ariel’s older brother, 24-year-old Yuri Martes, was shocked when he heard his brother shouting for help and opened the door to see him, as blood soaked his gloves and shoes.

“My body froze. My only reaction was to help him survive,” Yuri Martes said.

Yuri Martes said the attack has caused their mother to fear for the family’s safety in the neighbourhood and raised his concerns over crime in Winnipeg.

The attack comes amid a spike in violent incidents involving machetes and other long-bladed weapons in Manitoba. Police released information Sunday about the city’s latest random machete attack.

The unprovoked incident happened as the 56-year-old victim was walking eastbound on Ellice Avenue near Beverley Street at about 4:15 a.m. Friday. The man was assaulted from behind by someone he didn’t know, the WPS said.

The attack came to light after the victim walked into Health Sciences Centre suffering from “life-altering” injuries at about 5:05 a.m.

No arrests have been made. Police are looking for a suspect described as an Indigenous male, about 5-10 in height, who was wearing a dark hoodie and blue jeans.

Police asked anyone with information about the Friday attack to call the major crimes unit at 204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477 (TIPS).

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Paul Samyn | Editor's Note

Wednesdays

A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom.

Sign up for Paul Samyn | Editor's Note

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

On Oct. 9 — two days before Martes was attacked — Justice Minister Matt Wiebe announced the provincial government was introducing legislation to regulate the sale of machetes, swords and other long-bladed weapons.

Bill 39, the Long-Bladed Weapon Control Act, aims to limit the supply of the weapons by requiring retailers to securely store them when on display, check the photo identification of buyers and keep transaction details for at least two years.

Similar controls were placed on the sale of bear spray in 2023 under the previous Progressive Conservative government.

The bill would also prohibit minors from buying such weapons and would apply to online retailers shipping such items to Manitoba buyers.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca

Erik Pindera
Reporter

Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice.

   Read full biography

Tyler Searle
Reporter

Since joining the paper in 2022, Tyler has found himself driving through blizzards, documenting protests and scouring the undersides of bridges for potential stories.

   Read full biography