Men charged in 'vicious' 2017 home invasion, machete attack in Oak Bay, B.C.
Nearly six years after a violent home invasion at a beachfront estate in Oak Bay, B.C., left a woman with severe stab wounds and triggered a manhunt and lockdowns at nearby schools, two men are facing charges in the crime.
Kaspar Handspiker, 30, was arrested Sunday near Maple Ridge, B.C. He is charged with aggravated assault, breaking and entering and committing an indictable offence.
His alleged accomplice, Christopher Standell, 52, is charged with attempting to commit an offence or acting as an accessory after the fact.
The charges stem from an April 25, 2017, robbery in which a lone intruder broke into a house in the 2500-block of Esplanade Road, near Willows Beach, and repeatedly slashed a woman with what police described as a machete.
The attacker fled the scene and evaded responding officers and investigators.
Nermeen Alireza, 45, was rushed to hospital where she would undergo surgeries to reattach three fingers and insert steel plates in her shattered arm. She also suffered a dislocated shoulder and required stitches and staples in her head.
"This high-profile, vicious attack had a significant impact in our community," Oak Bay police Chief Mark Fisher said in a statement Thursday.
"Supporting this investigation has been a priority for our department and I hope that these charges bring some level of comfort to the victim and those impacted by this crime."
'I WAS SLIPPING IN MY OWN BLOOD'
Speaking publicly for the first time following the assault, Alireza told CTV News in 2020 that she was alone, housesitting for her parents at the Oak Bay address, when she heard drawers opening and closing in the kitchen around 7 a.m.
She entered the room and was met by a man wearing a bandana over his face, "like in the old Western movies," she said.
"I felt more angry than scared because I didn’t understand what was going on," Alireza said, describing how she tried to push the intruder out of the kitchen.
"I just felt this very heavy thud land on my head – didn’t recognize what it was – and then a few seconds later I slipped and fell and when I looked down I realized I was slipping in my own blood," she recalled.
The attacker struck Alireza several more times with a large blade as she collapsed to the ground.
The assailant fled the home and a manhunt ensued, prompting police to warn residents to lock their doors, even while home.
The investigation appeared to stall until last April, when investigators revealed that a secondary crime scene was discovered on the day after the attack.
Police said the related scene, approximately 45 kilometres away in Sooke, B.C., was connected to the attack by a blue Ford Explorer pickup that was recorded travelling between the two sites.
Investigators did not identify the secondary crime scene or discuss its relation to the machete attack but sought witnesses who may have seen the truck or could identify its owner.
"As both [suspects] have been formally charged and this matter is now before the courts, we are unable to provide any further details about the investigation," said Const. Markus Anastasiades of the Saanich Police Department, which assisted in the investigation.
"My family and I are relieved to hear of the arrests, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Saanich and Oak Bay Police," said Alireza in a statement through the Saanich police on Thursday.
"I am truly grateful to everyone that was involved and would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to both police departments, the Oak Bay Fire Department, ambulance service, hospital staff and surgeons, as well as the Island Hand Therapy Clinic."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Blaine Higgs 'furious' over sexual education presentation
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has shared his anger on social media over a presentation in at least four high schools.
Grayson Murray's parents say the two-time PGA Tour winner died of suicide
Grayson Murray's parents said Sunday their 30-year-old son took his own life, just one day after he withdrew from a PGA Tour event.
The dreams of a 60-year-old beauty contestant come to an abrupt end in Argentina
A 60-year-old woman saw her dreams of becoming the oldest Miss Universe contestant in history melt away in a haze of sequins and selfies Saturday at Argentina’s annual beauty pageant.
North Korea informs Japan of a plan to launch military spy satellite
North Korea has told Japan it plans to launch a satellite by early next week, an apparent effort to put its second military spy satellite into orbit.
2 died in plane crash near Squamish, B.C., police confirm
Two people died after a plane went down in a remote area near Squamish, B.C. on Friday, authorities have confirmed.
Driver, 18, gets $3,000 ticket, 32 demerit points after speeding on Laval boulevard
A young driver received a hefty fine from Laval police after they say he was driving nearly 100 km/h over the posted speed limit.
Are you a loud snorer? You could have sleep apnea
You'll have a lot more energy throughout the day if you get a good night's sleep, but not everyone does due to a medical condition.
At least 15 dead after severe weather carves path of ruin across multiple U.S. states in the South
Powerful storms killed at least 15 people and left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S.
Some birds may use 'mental time travel,' study finds
Real quick — what did you have for lunch yesterday? Were you with anyone? Where were you? Can you picture the scene? The ability to remember things that happened to you in the past, especially to go back and recall little incidental details, is a hallmark of what psychologists call episodic memory — and new research indicates that it’s an ability humans may share with birds called Eurasian jays.