A Vancouver woman has been charged in relation to an apparent stranger attack that took the life of a 29-year-old man.
Justin Mohrmann, a Vancouver resident, was walking near Smithe and Homer streets in Yaletown at around 8:30 a.m. on July 11 when he was stabbed, police said. He suffered serious injuries and died in hospital.
Vancouver police had identified a suspect near the crime scene after witnesses called 911 to report the stabbing.
On Tuesday, police announced charges against Lindsay Scott, 34. She was arrested without incident near Main and Hastings streets in the Downtown Eastside on Sunday night and remains in custody.
Police are familiar with Scott, but there is no evidence Scott and Mohrmann knew each other. “We believe they were strangers,” said VPD Sgt. Steve Addison.
A person with the same name and birth year as Scott is facing an assault charge stemming from a separate incident in Vancouver on the same day as the fatal stabbing.
Police declined to say whether something may have provoked the attack on Mohrmann, saying the findings will be revealed during court proceedings.
Addison said the incident, which occurred on a busy Downtown Vancouver street during the morning rush hour, was concerning.
“It’s unnerving,” he said. “Everyone should be able to live their lives and move around the city without fear.”
He acknowledged that the spate of stranger violence in the city has left some residents feeling unsafe and worried about safety. He said police are doing everything they can, including redeploying officers to address communities’ concerns and examining unsolved cases where the perpetrator and victim don’t know each other.
“We are making progress in identifying offenders, getting arrests and getting convictions, but there is obviously still a lot more to do,” said Addison.
Police released a photo of Mohrmann on Tuesday in the hopes that someone who saw him before the stabbing could contact police as they continue to gather evidence. Anyone who may have had interactions with Scott on the morning of July 11 is also asked to contact police at 604-717-2500.
