Man charged in Vancouver machete attack; police search for other possible victims

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A 33-year-old man has been charged in connection with the alleged attack of two people along Granville Street with a machete last week.

According to Vancouver police, the “attacks appear to have been completely unprovoked,” and at least two other possibly linked cases have come to light since.

Officers were first called to the area of Granville and Helmcken streets around 6 p.m. on Dec. 31 for reports a person had been cut by someone who “took a machete and slashed him in the face.”

An hour later, a suspect is said to have walked up to another man he didn’t know in the area of Granville and Davie streets. At the time, police had said the suspect “put a metal object to the victim’s neck and said ‘you are my enemy.’”

#VPD think there may be other victims after there were at least four random machete attacks on New Year's Eve. A man has been charged in two of the attacks. Two of the assaults were on homeless men. Anyone with info can call the Major Crime Section at 604.717.2541. pic.twitter.com/7VUH615Fda

— Sonia Aslam (@SoniaSAslam) January 6, 2021

In a release issued Wednesday, Jan. 6, the VPD says the 52-year-old man — who was later hospitalized with head injuries — stumbled to a nearby restaurant, where others were able to flag down police.

The VPD says investigators have since learned that a 26-year-old homeless man “suffered facial injuries when assaulted” around 6 p.m. that same evening, this time around Granville and Nelson.

The week earlier, on Christmas Eve, police say a 29-year-old homeless man was able to avoid being seriously hurt at Cambie Street and 7th Avenue when he was allegedly assaulted in front of Canadian Tire.

“These incidents all occurred in busy places and we believe there are many people who either saw what happened or have information that can help investigators,” says Sgt. Steve Addison, adding investigators believe there is at least one more possible victim who has not yet come forward.

“I should say that through the course of this investigation, speaking with the victims and others with information, we’ve learned that there is, for lack of a better word, word on the street that there are other people who have been assaulted and those people haven’t come forward to police at this point,” he explains. “So right now we really want to put the word out to anybody else who may have been assaulted in this manner that we want to hear from them.”

The 33-year-old suspect is facing several charges related to the Granville incidents, including two counts of assault with a weapon, two counts of assault bodily harm, robbery, and possession of a dangerous weapon.

If you have any information, you’re asked to contact the VPD at 604.717.2541. You can also contact Crime Stoppers at 1.800.222.8477 to remain anonymous.

-With files from Sonia Aslam