Three people have been arrested after a man was stabbed in downtown Langley City just before midnight on Tuesday, June 20, RCMP say.

An altercation between a man in his late 30s and a group of young people ended with the man suffering stab wounds to his abdomen, said Cpl. Craig van Herk.

“Shortly after arrival on scene police identified three suspects,” van Herk said. “A youth and two adults have been arrested, however charges have not yet been laid. Langley General Investigation Section has conduct of the file and continue to investigate.”

The victim’s wounds were non-life threatening, and he was taken to hospital by ambulance.

A neighbour said the lead-up to the incident seems to have started as early as about 10 p.m. on Tuesday night with a group or groups of teenagers in the area, said a neighbour, who asked that her name not be used.

“What I heard was a bunch of teenagers, up and down the street, yelling and screaming,” she said.

She estimate there were between 20 and 30 kids in the area, around the 7-Eleven, the Tim Hortons, and the parking lot of McFrugals, all of which are on or near 203rd Street close to Douglas Crescent and 56th Avenue.

When the yelling intensified, the neighbour called police.

Someone was shouting “Oh f—k, oh f—k,” she said.

“I could hear them saying ‘Blink, blink, keep your eyes open,’” she said.

Shortly after that, just after midnight, the area was flooded with RCMP cruisers, Langley City fire trucks, and BC Emergency Health Services ambulances.

Teenagers kept coming to the area until about 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, and were dispersed by police, the neighbour said.

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There have been increasing problems with large groups of teenagers in the area, the neighbour said.

In the past, there have been fights and bear spray incidents, and she’s seen teenaged girls drunk and weaving in and out of the street.

“It’s terrifying, and I know a lot of the seniors in my building are scared to go out at night,” she said.

The neighbour wants something to be done about the issues in the area, which she said are usually centred around the 7-Eleven, as well as the Tim Hortons and the nearby mall.

The Langley RCMP are asking that anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has video footage of the incident or the events immediately before, during, and after the stabbing, contact the Langley RCMP at 604-532-3200.

Have a story tip? Email: matthew.claxton@langleyadvancetimes.com