Delta Police are searching for suspects after a stabbing at Sungod Arena Tuesday night.
At about 8:35 p.m. on Nov. 7, police responded to reports of a male who was stabbed at Sungod Arena, located at 7815 112th St. Police believe the incident occurred at the north-west end of the property, nearest to the arena.
The 18-year-old victim was approached by two unknown men wearing balaclavas, police said. They robbed him of an iPod and other items, and stabbed him in the process. He was able to get to the pool area and was treated by lifeguards until fire and paramedics arrived.
The man was transported to hospital with serious injuries and is now in stable condition. Police say he is expected to make a full recovery.
The suspects reportedly fled on foot in a north-easterly direction through the parking lot towards Larson Road before police arrived. The DPD major crimes section was called in, and K-9 units were deployed to assist officers in the investigation. The recreation centre was locked down for a time while police searched the area.
Shane’s video
North Delta resident Wendy Stevenson was picking up her daughter from hockey practice around 8:50 p.m. when she encountered the police presence around the rec centre.
When she arrived, she said police had blocked off the entrances to the parking lots at the arena, and there were police along 80th Avenue and the nearby McKitrick Garden.
Maintenance staff at the entrance told her the arena was under lockdown, Stevenson said.
“My daughter was just on the other side of the door, so he said ‘I’ll let you in just to be with your daughter, but we can’t go anywhere’,” she said.
A fellow hockey parent who was already in the arena told Stevenson he had seen the teen come into the lobby of the pool area clutching his side.
“At first, they thought he was just holding his pants up,” she said. “But then he said something about ‘I’ve been stabbed.'”
Stevenson didn’t know how long the building was on lockdown, but said that she was inside the arena for about 20 minutes before police started letting people leave.
Delta Police public affairs coordinator Sharlene Brooks wasn’t aware of an official lockdown on the arena.
Police are now searching for the suspects, which are described as two men wearing dark clothing and balaclavas. The suspects are possibly in their late teens or early 20s.
Police are asking anyone who may have seen a small group or anything suspicious in the area just prior to 8:30 p.m. to call the Delta Police Department at 604-946-4411. Anyone who may have cell phone video or pictures that may assist the investigation are also asked to come forward.
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