Two teenage boys have been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the Aug. 16 stabbing death of Paul Prestbakmo in a South Surrey parking lot.
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Integrated Homicide Investigation Team officials announced the charges 乌鸦传媒� against a 15- and 16-year-old 乌鸦传媒� at a press conference this afternoon (Thursday) at the Surrey RCMP detachment.
Both teens have been in custody since Aug. 22, for breaching court-imposed conditions on a separate matter, IHIT spokesman Sgt. Frank Jang told media.
At the press conference, Jang said the murder 乌鸦传媒� which police describe as an unprovoked attack 乌鸦传媒� was not related to gang violence. He described the age of the two charged as 乌鸦传媒渢roubling.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 shocking. Fortunately, we don乌鸦传媒檛 hear about young people charged with these kinds of offences every day. But certainly when you hear about that, especially in our community, it乌鸦传媒檚 very shocking,乌鸦传媒� Jang said.
Jang said police believe Prestbakmo and the two youths knew each other 乌鸦传媒渢o some degree,乌鸦传媒� as Prestbakmo was a well-known member of the South Surrey and Semiahmoo First Nation community. He said police do not believe that it was a stranger-on-stranger attack.
乌鸦传媒淧aul Prestbakmo, 45 years old, worked as a mechanic乌鸦传媒ξ谘淮綕 Jang said. 乌鸦传媒淢y understanding is that he was, in those early hours, taking out the garbage and went for a smoke. Then, he was subsequently murdered. It乌鸦传媒檚 a tragic case.乌鸦传媒�
Due to their age, Jang said there is little information police can share about the two accused.
Surrey RCMP Cpl. Elenore Sturko said RCMP has increased its presence in the South Surrey area to 乌鸦传媒渉elp restore the community乌鸦传媒檚 feelings of safety.乌鸦传媒�
She, along with Jang, credited the development in the case to witnesses who came forward following an appeal by police and Prestbakmo乌鸦传媒檚 family.
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乌鸦传媒淐oming and bringing information to investigators can not only help solve a crime today, but can prevent one tomorrow,乌鸦传媒� Sturko said.
Prestbakmo, 45, died in a parking lot at the southwest corner of 18 Avenue and 152 Street. Police flooded the area after receiving reports of a man found bleeding just before 3:30 a.m. Officers found Prestbakmo 乌鸦传媒渦nresponsive with serious injuries.乌鸦传媒�
In a statement released Thursday, Jang said the charges would not have been possible without the 乌鸦传媒渢ireless efforts乌鸦传媒� of IHIT investigators 乌鸦传媒渢o secure and compile evidence for charge approval.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淎 violent incident like this has significant impacts on both the victim乌鸦传媒檚 family and the surrounding community, as their sense of safety is upended,乌鸦传媒� Sturko added in a news release.
乌鸦传媒淚t is our sincere hope that the quick conclusion to this investigation will bring a measure of comfort to both Mr. Prestbakmo乌鸦传媒檚 family and to the South Surrey community.乌鸦传媒�
aaron.hinks@peacearchnews.com
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