Man wanted in 'horrific' attack on teen in bus shelter captured in stolen truck

A man is facing charges in connection with a random, unprovokedattack ona teenager in a downtown Winnipeg bus shelter that left the victim so badly beaten he was incapable of moving from the concrete.

Winnipeg police arrested a 26-year-old man in connection with the incident around 9:50 p.m. CT on Wednesday, more than 24 hours after the attack, said Insp. Cam Baldwin.

"Obviously we're very relieved. This is an individual that is known to police, so we were concerned based on the violence of the initial offence and the fact that he is known to police," Baldwin said. "We were concerned for the safety of other citizens so we're very relieved to have him off the streets at this point."

The attack happened around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday inside a large shelter attached to the front of Portage Place Shopping Centre.

The 17-year-old victim, a university student who had only been in Canada about three weeks, was in the shelter for only four or five minutes before the attacker went after him, police said.

A brief clip of surveillance video footage released by police shows the victim and attacker standing a few feet apart.

The attacker waits forother people in the shelter and those standing nearby outside the shelter to leave. Then suddenly the attacker lungesat the teen and startsto punch him.

The videostops there.

Police officers spotted theman they arrested Wednesday evening near Portage Avenue and Albany Street,in a truck stolen from somebody in Gimli, Man.

"We had quite a number of units involved, including our Air 1 [helicopter]," Baldwin said, adding that the arrestis a testament to the value of the helicopter.

"Without that resource we probably would have been in situation where we may not have apprehended him or it would have elevated the risk to the public in our pursuit of him," he said.

The manwas taken into custody and charges will be processed soon, Baldwin said. He believes the man is from Winnipeg.

'More dangerous than anybody else out there'

Before the arrest, a police spokespersonsaidpolice were desperate to find the man who attacked the teen, calling him"more dangerous than anybody else out there."

"We need to get this person identified as soon as possible and have them removed from the streets," said spokeswomanConst.TammySkrabek.

Skrabek said the video was kept brief and halted just as the attack began"because the general public does not need to see this typeof violence."

The teen was punched, kicked andknocked to the ground, where the beating continued "to the point that this poor victim was unable to move," she said.

"When I'm saying [is] it was a horrific attack, it is a horrific attack."

The victim, who was also robbed, was left with serious facial and head injuries and sent tohospital in stable condition. He was treated for multiple facial injuries and released.

The attack is particularly disturbing for its apparent deliberateness, Skrabeksaid.

"We're talking about somebody who was standing there, purposelywaiting to prey on a victim. That person is more dangerous than anybody else out there who'sperhapsdealing drugs or whatever it is," she said.

"It's this person that the public needs to be concerned about somebody like this, who's completely, randomly attacking somebody not known to him, unprovoked."

Earlier in the day, investigators askedanyone with information about the attack to contact police. Baldwin said anyone who saw the accused involved in any other crime or who observed him in the stolen truckis still encouraged to contact police.

Investigators can be reached at 204-986-6222or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).