Kaiden Mintenko, 20, of Burnaby has been charged with second-degree murder in the Surrey stabbing death of 17-year-old Ethan Bespflug, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team announced Monday (April 17).
Ethan died in hospital after being stabbed April 11 while riding the Route 503 bus in the 9900-block of King George Boulevard. He was reportedly riding home from a friend香蕉视频直播檚 house and had texted his mom that he was being threatened by 香蕉视频直播渟ome kids香蕉视频直播� and was scared.
Police said at a presser on Monday, at BC RCMP Headquarters in Green Timbers, that the stabbing was a targeted attack and not a random one. IHIT said the suspect and victim knew each other through a third party.
Mintenko is in custody. He was arrested at a residence in Burnaby on April 16. His next appearance in Surrey provincial court is set for May 8.
香蕉视频直播淭he individual who was arrested does have an association to the deceased,香蕉视频直播� Sgt. Tim Pierotti, of IHIT, said, adding the suspect is known to police. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e still working to determine exactly what the nature of the relationship is between them.香蕉视频直播�
Ethan is Surrey香蕉视频直播檚 fifth homicide victim so far this year.
香蕉视频直播淚t does come as a shock to me,香蕉视频直播� Ethan香蕉视频直播檚 mom Holly Indridson said of the arrest and charge. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e never heard his name around, only just I guess the girlfriend香蕉视频直播檚 name of the guy, the man that香蕉视频直播檚 charged. There香蕉视频直播檚 always been a little bit of a bullying situation I guess the man charged and the girlfriend, like the girlfriend would bully my son.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淚 am quite in shock. I didn香蕉视频直播檛 think, you know sometimes bullying you don香蕉视频直播檛 think it香蕉视频直播檚 going to take it so far as to murder.香蕉视频直播�
She said she香蕉视频直播檚 pleased the suspect remains in custody. 香蕉视频直播淣o other family should have to through this pain,香蕉视频直播� Indridson told the Now-Leader.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 glad that they worked on it so quickly, I香蕉视频直播檓 so thankful for them, the detectives that were working on this. They were very sincere and sympathetic.香蕉视频直播�
Indridson, 38, has joined a club nobody wants to belong to, as yet another parent who香蕉视频直播檚 lost a beloved child to mindless violence in Surrey.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e been through so many losses and this one, it香蕉视频直播檚 crushed my will to live but I have to live, you know,香蕉视频直播� she said.
Before the night he was killed, when he texted that he was scared and threatened by other passengers, Ethan had never complained about riding bus or SkyTrain.
香蕉视频直播淗im and his friend would take the bus and SkyTrain, they香蕉视频直播檇 take it downtown, they香蕉视频直播檇 go to Brentwood Mall, they香蕉视频直播檇 go to Metrotown, they utilized it so they could explore their surroundings and their world you know, as teenagers would. I don香蕉视频直播檛 think at any time he felt unsafe and for this to happen on the bus香蕉视频直播�,香蕉视频直播� Indridson, an Abbotsford resident, trails off.
Authorities from Premier David Eby on down have expressed outrage at her son香蕉视频直播檚 homicide and have promised enhanced police patrols on public transit in its wake.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 hoping that they can put more security,香蕉视频直播� Indridson says of this. 香蕉视频直播淲hen I was younger, there was a security guard or a transit police on the bus itself, when I was like 17.
香蕉视频直播淚 thought there would be a lot more,香蕉视频直播� she says.
TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn vented about the crime during an unrelated presser in Surrey on Friday,
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 angry, we香蕉视频直播檙e really angry, I香蕉视频直播檓 very frustrated, I香蕉视频直播檓 bothered by these events and as a parent of two transit-riding kids, every single day, I am concerned,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淲e will not allow criminals or those who want to commit crimes to come onto our system.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檒l say as a father, I will say I was particularly shocked regarding the fatal stabbing of a teenager aboard one of our buses and our sincere condolences are with that young man香蕉视频直播檚 family,香蕉视频直播� Quinn said.
香蕉视频直播淥ur Transit Police have already stepped up patrols in crime hot spots and the forthcoming 24 community safety officers will allow police to further focus their efforts on criminal activity. We香蕉视频直播檙e always looking for new ways to improve safety on transit and I want to emphasize that if anyone feels unsafe on our system they should immediately text Transit Police at any time at 87-7777.香蕉视频直播�
Indridson says two GoFundMe campaigns will help her surviving children and help put Ethan to rest. By press time, one set up by her sister-in-law Andrea Van Der Gracht had already raised $23,895 and one by another aunt, Daphni Miller, had raised $23,370.
香蕉视频直播淭he outpouring of support and just people that are messaging me that are just, I don香蕉视频直播檛 know them, but other mothers that are messaging me, the family, the friends, people I haven香蕉视频直播檛 talked to since high school, it香蕉视频直播檚 just amazing how communities come together but I just wish it wasn香蕉视频直播檛 under these circumstances,香蕉视频直播� Indridson said. 香蕉视频直播淚 can feel it and I know Ethan is smiling down because that it香蕉视频直播檚 what he would want in this type of situation, for his family not to feel alone and feel love and support.香蕉视频直播�
Her younger children 香蕉视频直播渁re devastated.
香蕉视频直播淢y kids were all very close, they got along well, there香蕉视频直播檚 very large age gaps between some of them. They connected in such a way that to me it was magical watching them together and Ethan was the largest piece of the puzzle.香蕉视频直播�
Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards, officer in charge of the Surrey RCMP, offered his condolences to Ethan香蕉视频直播檚 friends and family.
香蕉视频直播淎s being the parent of a teenager myself this is absolutely heartbreaking,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淎fter all these years of being a police officer I still struggle with the senselessness of certain crimes. This is one of those crimes.香蕉视频直播�
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke at Monday night香蕉视频直播檚 council meeting also conveyed her 香蕉视频直播渄eepest condolences.
香蕉视频直播淎s a mom, I cannot imagine the pain Ethan香蕉视频直播檚 family is going through,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淚n addition to an increased police and security presence on transit, we are looking to arrange sustainable and long-term solutions. I will be reaching out to the premier, solicitor general and minister of health to ask for additional resources in policing and to make better use of technology to deter these crimes and identify the perpetrators.香蕉视频直播�
Meantime, Surrey RCMP said police have no reason to suspect Ethan香蕉视频直播檚 stabbing was 香蕉视频直播渋n any way connected香蕉视频直播� to a man香蕉视频直播檚 throat being slashed 香蕉视频直播� also on a Route 503 bus 香蕉视频直播� at Fraser Highway and 148 Street on April 1. That stabbing resulted in the suspect, Abdul Aziz Kawam, being charged with four terrorism-related offences, with Kawam accused of committing the crime on behalf of the Islamic State otherwise known as ISIS.
Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards, in charge of the Surrey RCMP, on what police are doing about violence on public transit.
香蕉视频直播� Tom Zytaruk (@tomzytaruk)
Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth told reporters in Victoria there香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播渁 number of things under way香蕉视频直播� to crack down in violence on public transit.
香蕉视频直播淥n Friday my director of police services met a number of times with the police agencies, the RCMP, Transit Police and other police agencies in the Lower Mainland in terms of identifying are there additional resources required, what actions are needed,香蕉视频直播� Farnworth said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 my expectation to see an increased policing presence on our transit system.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淭his is an issue that is plaguing transit systems across the country,香蕉视频直播� Farnworth said.
Shirley Bond, of the British Columbia United Party (formerly BC Liberal Party), slammed the NDP government.
香蕉视频直播淲ell, no amount of patting themselves on the back will bring comfort today to a family whose son was on a bus and didn香蕉视频直播檛 get home,香蕉视频直播� Bond said.
香蕉视频直播淭his Premier needs to stand up and acknowledge that people in British Columbia today are tired of the empty words. What they want is a Premier that will acknowledge the fact that they are afraid to take a bus in British Columbia. Who can possibly imagine that?香蕉视频直播�
On Saturday a 20-year-old man was stabbed at Surrey Central SkyTrain Station, making it the third stabbing on public transit in Surrey in three weeks. Transit Police Chief Officer Dave Jones said there are no 香蕉视频直播渃ommonalities or linkages香蕉视频直播� between any of these cases.
香蕉视频直播淢y emphasis here is this is an anomaly, the number of events that have occurred of this type of nature on the transit system. It moves hundreds of thousands of people every day,香蕉视频直播� Jones said. 香蕉视频直播淭here was no commonality between all of the events that have occurred, the separate incidents that have occurred.香蕉视频直播�
Const. Amanda Steed, spokeswoman for Metro Vancouver Transit Police, said uniformed officers assigned several units have been pulled from their regular duties have been assigned to buses and SkyTrain in Surrey. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e trying to saturate the system with a visible presence. We香蕉视频直播檝e also taken our detectives who work in a crime-suppression team 香蕉视频直播� they香蕉视频直播檙e in a plainclothes capacity so you might not see them but they are there 香蕉视频直播� we香蕉视频直播檝e taken them from their day-to-day duties and put them in hot spots where we香蕉视频直播檝e identified where people aren香蕉视频直播檛 feeling safe,香蕉视频直播� she told the Now-Leader.
As for two of the stabbings happening on a Route 503 bus, Steed said she doesn香蕉视频直播檛 know if that香蕉视频直播檚 a coincidence. 香蕉视频直播淎ll of the stabbings that have occurred and slashings that have occurred they香蕉视频直播檙e not connected in any way, there香蕉视频直播檚 no evidence to suggest that they香蕉视频直播檙e connected. But does that say that maybe the 503 is a route that we might need to look at a little but closer and perhaps improve our presence on that route? Absolutely.香蕉视频直播�
What香蕉视频直播檚 fueling this recent violence is a question for the age.
香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 understand what香蕉视频直播檚 happening, this is so abnormal, this is not normal, and we looked at other provinces who are having issues like this, with violence and weapons, and we were always lucky that that wasn香蕉视频直播檛 happening to us but now for some reason in the last couple of weeks the world has just lost it,香蕉视频直播� Steed said.
Bigger, more complex issues are at play, she suggests, 香蕉视频直播渘ot necessarily just a policing issue, where this violence is coming from.
香蕉视频直播淲e have to ask ourselves, what has brought these people to this spot? Why are they in this position, why are they exhibiting more violence and using more weapons that they have in the past? And I think it has a lot to do with mental health, and the drug crisis, and social housing crisis. I also think COVID also had a huge impact, we were isolated for so long. People are struggling right now, people who are already on the edge of a mental health break, they香蕉视频直播檝e completely gone over the edge, and even people who didn香蕉视频直播檛 suffer from any type of mental health before, they香蕉视频直播檙e struggling.
香蕉视频直播淧eople are really on edge.香蕉视频直播�
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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