Just before midnight last evening, the Saanich Police were called by 911 to a residence in the 5000 block of Santa Clara ave. A male who had just left the residence, returned bleeding from a knife wound.
A party of about 25-30 youths to celebrate a birthday had occurred at the residence. Later in the evening, some party-goers became unruly, so it was ended early by parents who were supervising. Once outside, the male suspect was heard to argue with a female. The victim intervened and was slashed across the left side of his face with a hunting style knife.
The victim sustained an approximately 8″ gash to his face which included a portion of his ear. It required multiple layers of stitches to close the wound to the cheek and his ear.
The suspect then fled the area on foot with his girlfriend. The Saanich Police canine tracked, but before the dog got him, he was located on Elk Lake drive by another officer.
Given the severity of the injuries, the Saanich Police detectives were called out at about 1am this morning. Charges being suggested at this time include Aggravated Assault and Possession of a Weapon.
The 16 year old male suspect, from Victoria, remains in custody and will appear before a justice this afternoon or tomorrow. The 17 year old victim, a Saanich resident, was released from the hospital overnight.
12-21794