By Beryl Wajsman, Editor
The Suburban
The SPVM has arrested a 23-year-old suspect who allegedly assaulted an Orthodox Jewish man in front of his daughters last Friday in Park Extension. The victim is 32 years old. Sergio Yanes Preciado appeared at the Montreal courthouse Tuesday charged with one count of assault causing bodily harm. The Crown has requested a psychosocial evaluation.
The suspect was arrested Monday afternoon as part of an investigative effort led by the North Regional Investigation Section, with the support of patrol officers from Neighborhood Station 31. The investigation is ongoing and the suspect is currently being interviewed by investigators, and a charge sheet will be submitted to the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DCPP).
The SPVM states that it spared no effort to locate the suspect and is continuing its investigation to shed full light on the circumstances of what it has called “this criminal act. “ The SPVM extended thanks to residents who contributed to the arrest by providing information that led to the suspect’s location.
Last Friday, August 8, at around 2:20 p.m., the victim went to Dickie Moore Park with his three young daughters. At the time, the suspect was in the park’s splash pad. The suspect then approached the victim and sprayed him with the contents of his water bottle. The victim attempted to approach the suspect, who pushed the victim to the ground and punched him several times in the face and kneed him. The suspect left on foot at around 2.26p.m. heading east on Beaumont Avenue.
A video of the incident circulated on social media. In the video the suspect can be seen violently beating the victim who is on the ground lying on his back and fighting back with his legs as his little girl cries out beside him. The video shows the attacker crouching down and punching the victim about five or six times. The victim can be seen kicking with one leg but no contact was made.
After a few seconds, the attacker stopped, while the distressed daughters called out and tried to help their father stand up. The attacker is then seen picking up what looks like someone’s belongings as the victim gets up.
A woman’s voice — presumably of the person taking the video — is heard asking “Why?But why?”The assailant then tossed a kippah into the water before walking off. While there were other people in the park at the time of the attack, nobody intervened to try to stop it or to catch the attacker. The woman who took the video then went over to the victim and shared the video with him. The victim himself them called the police.
The victim’s injuries were not life-threatening. He suffered a broken nose and facial bruises. Federation CJA posted about the “shocking and unprovoked attack,” saying “there must be concrete steps taken to ensure the safety of our community.”
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact 911 or their local police station. Information can also be submitted anonymously to Info-Crime Montréal by calling 514-393-1133 or visiting infocrimemontreal.ca.