Victoria police have released a sketch of a suspect in the Jan. 11 stabbing in Beacon Hill Park that left a 49-year-old man with serious injuries.
The sketch has been developed from an interview with the victim, who has only recently been able to talk with police due to his injuries.
“The victim is still recovering,” said Victoria police Sgt. Jamie McRae. “He is out of the hospital, will likely have to have a followup surgery to repair some damage. He’s gaining his voice back as part of his recovery.”
The man was standing near a shelter on Finlayson Point, in a very dark area of the park, when he was set upon and stabbed a number of times about midnight Jan. 11, McRae said.
“We still are trying to determine the exact motivation for this attack,” he said. “Based on all of the evidence and the information we have, it does appear that this person was just randomly attacked, which heightens our level of concern.”
He described the victim as “a frequent park-goer,” who also camps there on occasion.
The attacker ran off when two people out for a late-night walk happened by. They immediately called 911.
McRae said the public has already provided information, and he is hoping the police artist’s sketch will generate more.
“If they recognize the person that is depicted in this photo, in combination with the description, if they have any information that might help us locate or determine who the suspect is from this violent attack, we would like to hear from them. “It could be something very simple and small that you don’t think is important, please give us a call. Maybe you’ve overheard somebody speak in a coffee shop or you have a friend who mentioned that they heard something about this.”
Police are intent on finding the person responsible, McRae said.
The suspect is described as 20 to 30 years old, six feet tall with short red hair and a short red beard. He weighs about 200 pounds and is physically fit, and at the time of the incident was wearing a dark yellow hoodie, grey pants and board shoes.
Call Victoria police at 250-995-7654 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Victoria Coun. Shellie Gudgeon said the attack could serve as an impetus to restoring the area where it took place, in the interest of safety. She cited a report from a retired parks-department worker that says the area is full of waste and drug paraphernalia, despite efforts to keep it clean.
