Man wanted in Sudbury robbery charged in 'random and isolated' stabbing attack downtown

A Greater Sudbury woman is upset about the charges laid against the man accused of attacking her son and a group of his colleagues downtown on Saturday.

Crystal Richer told CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca in a phone interview Monday her son suffered a severed artery and punctured lung after being stabbed on Larch Street at Minto Street, just steps from police headquarters.

He and his boss had taken out a few new employees from out of the country to show them the city's nightlife when they were attacked around 2:30 a.m. Oct. 12, Richer said.

"No words were exchanged," she said, stating the attacker "came out of nowhere."

She credits her son's coworker with saving her son's life.

"If it wasn't for his coworker stuffing his wound with his t-shirt, he wouldn't have made it," Richer said.

"If it wasn't for him, my son would be dead."

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The 29-year-old male victim was taken to hospital for emergency surgery.

His wife and family were called in to say their final goodbyes just in case he didn't make it, his mom said.

Between the stabbing and surgery, Richer said he lost a lot of blood and was in an induced coma for a while.

Charges questioned

Officers took his statement at the hospital and his mom said he had to sign off on the charges while in recovery and under medication.

She said her son doesn't agree with the aggravated assault charge and that she doesn’t understand why the accused isn't charged with attempted murder.

"He had every intention of hurting someone," Richer said.

"You don't come out with a knife and don't expect that they won't die."

Det. Const. Steven Bradley, of Greater Sudbury Police Service, told CTV News in a phone interview Monday it was a "random and isolated" incident.

While the victim and accused were not known to each other, Bradley said there is no concern for public safety following the stabbing.

The suspect was identified as a 35-year-old male, who was located by patrol officers on the day of the stabbing.

It turns out he was also wanted in a robbery that happened in the city on Oct. 4, Bradley would not say where the robbery happened.

In addition to the robbery charge, he is also now charged with aggravated assault, four counts of assault with a weapon and having a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

Bradley said the accused is not from Sudbury.

The suspect has been remanded following a bail court appearance.

He is scheduled to appear again in court Tuesday.

Discharged from hospital

Because there were no beds available, the victim's mother said the hospital sent her son to recover at his Capreol home just four hours after the tube was removed from his chest.

Richer said her son is having a hard time sleeping due to the pain from his injuries.

She said his hand is swollen due to multiple blood transfusions and he is still numb on his right side.

The ordeal was also very traumatizing for her son's colleagues, she said.