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含羞草研究社檚 house and had texted his mom that he was being threatened by 含羞草研究社渟ome kids含羞草研究社� 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.
含羞草研究社淭he individual who was arrested does have an association to the deceased,含羞草研究社� Sgt. Tim Pierotti, of IHIT, said, adding the suspect is known to police. 含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e still working to determine exactly what the nature of the relationship is between them.含羞草研究社�
Ethan is Surrey含羞草研究社檚 fifth homicide victim so far this year.
含羞草研究社淚t does come as a shock to me,含羞草研究社� Ethan含羞草研究社檚 mom Holly Indridson said of the arrest and charge. 含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e never heard his name around, only just I guess the girlfriend含羞草研究社檚 name of the guy, the man that含羞草研究社檚 charged. There含羞草研究社檚 always been a little bit of a bullying situation I guess the man charged and the girlfriend, like the girlfriend would bully my son.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚 am quite in shock. I didn含羞草研究社檛 think, you know sometimes bullying you don含羞草研究社檛 think it含羞草研究社檚 going to take it so far as to murder.含羞草研究社�
She said she含羞草研究社檚 pleased the suspect remains in custody. 含羞草研究社淣o other family should have to through this pain,含羞草研究社� Indridson told the Now-Leader.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 glad that they worked on it so quickly, I含羞草研究社檓 so thankful for them, the detectives that were working on this. They were very sincere and sympathetic.含羞草研究社�
Indridson, 38, has joined a club nobody wants to belong to, as yet another parent who含羞草研究社檚 lost a beloved child to mindless violence in Surrey.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e been through so many losses and this one, it含羞草研究社檚 crushed my will to live but I have to live, you know,含羞草研究社� 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.
含羞草研究社淗im and his friend would take the bus and SkyTrain, they含羞草研究社檇 take it downtown, they含羞草研究社檇 go to Brentwood Mall, they含羞草研究社檇 go to Metrotown, they utilized it so they could explore their surroundings and their world you know, as teenagers would. I don含羞草研究社檛 think at any time he felt unsafe and for this to happen on the bus含羞草研究社�,含羞草研究社� Indridson, an Abbotsford resident, trails off.
Authorities from Premier David Eby on down have expressed outrage at her son含羞草研究社檚 homicide and have promised enhanced police patrols on public transit in its wake.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 hoping that they can put more security,含羞草研究社� Indridson says of this. 含羞草研究社淲hen I was younger, there was a security guard or a transit police on the bus itself, when I was like 17.
含羞草研究社淚 thought there would be a lot more,含羞草研究社� she says.
TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn vented about the crime during an unrelated presser in Surrey on Friday,
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 angry, we含羞草研究社檙e really angry, I含羞草研究社檓 very frustrated, I含羞草研究社檓 bothered by these events and as a parent of two transit-riding kids, every single day, I am concerned,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淲e will not allow criminals or those who want to commit crimes to come onto our system.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檒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含羞草研究社檚 family,含羞草研究社� Quinn said.
含羞草研究社淥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含羞草研究社檙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.含羞草研究社�
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.
含羞草研究社淭he outpouring of support and just people that are messaging me that are just, I don含羞草研究社檛 know them, but other mothers that are messaging me, the family, the friends, people I haven含羞草研究社檛 talked to since high school, it含羞草研究社檚 just amazing how communities come together but I just wish it wasn含羞草研究社檛 under these circumstances,含羞草研究社� Indridson said. 含羞草研究社淚 can feel it and I know Ethan is smiling down because that it含羞草研究社檚 what he would want in this type of situation, for his family not to feel alone and feel love and support.含羞草研究社�
Her younger children 含羞草研究社渁re devastated.
含羞草研究社淢y kids were all very close, they got along well, there含羞草研究社檚 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.含羞草研究社�
Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards, officer in charge of the Surrey RCMP, offered his condolences to Ethan含羞草研究社檚 friends and family.
含羞草研究社淎s being the parent of a teenager myself this is absolutely heartbreaking,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淎fter all these years of being a police officer I still struggle with the senselessness of certain crimes. This is one of those crimes.含羞草研究社�
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke at Monday night含羞草研究社檚 council meeting also conveyed her 含羞草研究社渄eepest condolences.
含羞草研究社淎s a mom, I cannot imagine the pain Ethan含羞草研究社檚 family is going through,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淚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.含羞草研究社�
Meantime, Surrey RCMP said police have no reason to suspect Ethan含羞草研究社檚 stabbing was 含羞草研究社渋n any way connected含羞草研究社� to a man含羞草研究社檚 throat being slashed 含羞草研究社� also on a Route 503 bus 含羞草研究社� 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.
含羞草研究社� Tom Zytaruk (@tomzytaruk)
Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth told reporters in Victoria there含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渁 number of things under way含羞草研究社� to crack down in violence on public transit.
含羞草研究社淥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,含羞草研究社� Farnworth said. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 my expectation to see an increased policing presence on our transit system.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淭his is an issue that is plaguing transit systems across the country,含羞草研究社� Farnworth said.
Shirley Bond, of the British Columbia United Party (formerly BC Liberal Party), slammed the NDP government.
含羞草研究社淲ell, no amount of patting themselves on the back will bring comfort today to a family whose son was on a bus and didn含羞草研究社檛 get home,含羞草研究社� Bond said.
含羞草研究社淭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?含羞草研究社�
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 含羞草研究社渃ommonalities or linkages含羞草研究社� between any of these cases.
含羞草研究社淢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,含羞草研究社� Jones said. 含羞草研究社淭here was no commonality between all of the events that have occurred, the separate incidents that have occurred.含羞草研究社�
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. 含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e trying to saturate the system with a visible presence. We含羞草研究社檝e also taken our detectives who work in a crime-suppression team 含羞草研究社� they含羞草研究社檙e in a plainclothes capacity so you might not see them but they are there 含羞草研究社� we含羞草研究社檝e taken them from their day-to-day duties and put them in hot spots where we含羞草研究社檝e identified where people aren含羞草研究社檛 feeling safe,含羞草研究社� she told the Now-Leader.
As for two of the stabbings happening on a Route 503 bus, Steed said she doesn含羞草研究社檛 know if that含羞草研究社檚 a coincidence. 含羞草研究社淎ll of the stabbings that have occurred and slashings that have occurred they含羞草研究社檙e not connected in any way, there含羞草研究社檚 no evidence to suggest that they含羞草研究社檙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.含羞草研究社�
What含羞草研究社檚 fueling this recent violence is a question for the age.
含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 understand what含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檛 happening to us but now for some reason in the last couple of weeks the world has just lost it,含羞草研究社� Steed said.
Bigger, more complex issues are at play, she suggests, 含羞草研究社渘ot necessarily just a policing issue, where this violence is coming from.
含羞草研究社淲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含羞草研究社檝e completely gone over the edge, and even people who didn含羞草研究社檛 suffer from any type of mental health before, they含羞草研究社檙e struggling.
含羞草研究社淧eople are really on edge.含羞草研究社�
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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