'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
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.