One person is dead and another is in custody, following an early-morning incident in Newton.
According to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, police were called to a “fight” in the parking lot of a strip mall at 75A Avenue and Scott Road just before 1 a.m. Thursday (Jan. 2).
IHIT said that when police arrived, the suspect had already fled the scene and deceased male was found in the parking lot.
The suspect, a 33-year-old man, remains in custody and police are still trying to determine whether anyone else was involved, IHIT stated in a release, but he “does not have any known ties to gangs or drug trafficking.”
The male victim has not yet been identified.
IHIT said officers are also trying to determine whether the two knew each other.
Multiple people saw the fight, IHIT said, and one of the witnesses was able to follow the suspect from a distance and told police of his location.
Surrey RCMP officers found the suspect a few blocks away and took him into custody, IHIT said. A weapon “possibly used in the murder” was also found by police.
“One of the witnesses did a good job of keeping an eye on the suspect from a safe distance after he fled the scene, and was able to direct police to his whereabouts,” said Constable Harrison Mohr with IHIT. “Frontline Surrey RCMP officers responded quickly and arrested the suspect minutes after the altercation, and also located a possible weapon involved in the murder. Their efforts have benefited this investigation immensely.”
Upon arrival, officers located a deceased male. A second male located nearby was taken into police custody.
Investigators with Surrey’s General Investigation Unit were expected to be at the scene “for unknown period of time,” the release, issued just after 2 a.m., notes.
Forensic police investigating at 7500 Scott shopping plaza in Newton, the scene of Surrey's first homicide in 2020, on Thursday morning. #SurreyBC pic.twitter.com/JCuiWOpLj5
— Tom Zytaruk (@tomzytaruk) January 2, 2020
The death is the city’s first homicide of 2020.
Anyone who witnessed the altercation or anything suspicious in the area is asked to contact IHIT through the IHIT information line at 1-877-551- IHIT (4448), or email ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
