A 17-year-old from Surrey is one of three arrested in connection with a brutal machete attack on two Korean students in North Vancouver.
Shortly after midnight on Jan. 28, police say two Korean exchange students were at the bus loop at Lonsdale Quay, with a group of friends. While waiting for a bus, the group was approached by three suspects who demanded the students turn over their cellphones and wallets at knife point.
Police say one of the suspects then used a machete to attack one of the students, allegedly striking him in the head, causing a gash that required seven stitches and 18 staples to close. The student was struck with enough force that machete penetrated five millimetres into his skull.
By the time police arrived on the scene, the suspects had fled.
Both males were rushed to hospital and released after a short stay. The student with the head injury is expected to make a full recovery. The other student suffered only minor injuries in the attack.
Cpl. Peter DeVries, spokesman for the North Van RCMP, told The Outlook the attack was completely unprovoked and not indicative of a problem in the heavily-used area.
Blair Benedict and Christopher Lamber, both 18-year-old from North Vancouver, and one 17-year-old youth from Surrey have been charged with aggravated assault. Investigators expect Crown counsel to contemplate adding charges of robbery, assault and various breaches of parole conditions.