'What is this town coming to?': Man arrested in Comox Valley after vehicles smashed with axe, business egged
A man who the RCMP had warned the public to be on the lookout for was arrested Thursday morning after taking an axe to a parked vehicle in the Comox Valley.
Alicia O’Quinn was standing inside the Tim Horton’s on Ryan Road in Courtenay, B.C., ordering a coffee when she glanced outside to see a man with an axe approach her parked minivan.
She quickly recalled news articles she had seen online about a man who had recently smashed a vehicle with an axe.
"I was like, 'Oh my god that’s the guy and he’s going to destroy my vehicle!'" O’Quinn told CTV News on Thursday.
And destroy it he did. The 2002 Toyota van now has a smashed windshield, hatchet marks on the side doors, and missing head- and taillights.
Alicia O’Quinn's vehicle is pictured after it was allegedly damaged by a man with an axe on Thursday: (CTV News)
"It was very methodical," O’Quinn said. "He just went by continuously hitting different places of the van."
"At one point he stopped and he turned and he saw us looking at him and did a little dance and proceeded to hit it a couple more times," she said.
O’Quinn says the attack appeared completely random and she had no previous dealings with the man. She saw him drive away as staff inside the doughnut shop called 911.
Wayne Murphy was one of several witnesses of the disturbing incident that happened in the parking lot of the restaurant.
"The guy just showed up in his car, a blue Honda, and just got out and just started smashing the vehicle with an axe," Murphy said.
RCMP arrested a man accused of taking a hatchet to several vehicles in the Comox Valley: (CTV News)
Rob Kasper was another witness.
"He just grabbed an axe and went around it. I heard the initial thumping of it and I just said, 'Stay in the truck,'" he said.
Kasper says when the driver drove away from the scene he was gesturing "gang signs" out the window.
"I’m not sure how that was related but it was kind of scary actually," he said.
'CLOSED HIM IN'
The axe-wielding motorist only got a short distance away before he was stopped by multiple RCMP vehicles at the intersection of Ryan Road and Highway 19A.
Ed Norman was driving directly in front of the Civic and was waiting to turn left at the intersection where the arrest took place. As soon as he started moving, he saw five or six RCMP vehicles quickly surround the Honda.
"Cops came from every angle and just closed him in," he said. "The door on the car was wide open. I never really got to see too much of it but it was pretty intense – guns drawn – it was quite the ordeal."
RCMP arrested a man accused of taking a hatchet to several vehicles in the Comox Valley: (CTV News)
O’Quinn is now left with trying to figure out how to deal with the transportation needs of herself and her four children.
RCMP had been looking for the 2013 Honda Civic with Nova Scotia licence plate GTC 968 after the driver was accused of taking a hatchet to a side mirror of a carpet cleaning van at the intersection of Cliffe Avenue and 17th Street on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old man is believed to be the same individual who went on an egg-throwing rampage at a Campbell River cell phone store on Oct. 16.
"When I was reading the article on the internet I said to myself, 'What is this town coming to?' And then this happened to me today," said O’Quinn.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
Ontario urges mpox testing amid spike in cases
Ontario health officials are urging public health units to test for mpox, the viral disease formerly known as monkeypox, amid a spike of confirmed cases in the province.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
'Don't expect any deals:' Expert says stores may not offer steep discounts on post-Easter chocolate
Those looking to snap up cheap treats at their local grocery store next week following the Easter long weekend could be in for a bit of a surprise as the rising cost of cocoa continues to drive up the price of chocolate, one expert says.