Kaiden Mintenko, 20, of Burnaby has been charged with second-degree murder in the Surrey stabbing death of 17-year-old Ethan Bespflug, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team announced Monday (April 17).

Ethan died in hospital after being stabbed April 11 while riding the Route 503 bus in the 9900-block of King George Boulevard. He was reportedly riding home from a friend害羞草研究所檚 house and had texted his mom that he was being threatened by 害羞草研究所渟ome kids害羞草研究所� and was scared.

Police said at a presser on Monday, at BC RCMP Headquarters in Green Timbers, that the stabbing was a targeted attack and not a random one. IHIT said the suspect and victim knew each other through a third party.

Mintenko is in custody. He was arrested at a residence in Burnaby on April 16. His next appearance in Surrey provincial court is set for May 8.

害羞草研究所淭he individual who was arrested does have an association to the deceased,害羞草研究所� Sgt. Tim Pierotti, of IHIT, said, adding the suspect is known to police. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e still working to determine exactly what the nature of the relationship is between them.害羞草研究所�

Ethan is Surrey害羞草研究所檚 fifth homicide victim so far this year.

害羞草研究所淚t does come as a shock to me,害羞草研究所� Ethan害羞草研究所檚 mom Holly Indridson said of the arrest and charge. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e never heard his name around, only just I guess the girlfriend害羞草研究所檚 name of the guy, the man that害羞草研究所檚 charged. There害羞草研究所檚 always been a little bit of a bullying situation I guess the man charged and the girlfriend, like the girlfriend would bully my son.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 am quite in shock. I didn害羞草研究所檛 think, you know sometimes bullying you don害羞草研究所檛 think it害羞草研究所檚 going to take it so far as to murder.害羞草研究所�

She said she害羞草研究所檚 pleased the suspect remains in custody. 害羞草研究所淣o other family should have to through this pain,害羞草研究所� Indridson told the Now-Leader.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 glad that they worked on it so quickly, I害羞草研究所檓 so thankful for them, the detectives that were working on this. They were very sincere and sympathetic.害羞草研究所�

Indridson, 38, has joined a club nobody wants to belong to, as yet another parent who害羞草研究所檚 lost a beloved child to mindless violence in Surrey.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e been through so many losses and this one, it害羞草研究所檚 crushed my will to live but I have to live, you know,害羞草研究所� she said.

Before the night he was killed, when he texted that he was scared and threatened by other passengers, Ethan had never complained about riding bus or SkyTrain.

害羞草研究所淗im and his friend would take the bus and SkyTrain, they害羞草研究所檇 take it downtown, they害羞草研究所檇 go to Brentwood Mall, they害羞草研究所檇 go to Metrotown, they utilized it so they could explore their surroundings and their world you know, as teenagers would. I don害羞草研究所檛 think at any time he felt unsafe and for this to happen on the bus害羞草研究所�,害羞草研究所� Indridson, an Abbotsford resident, trails off.

Authorities from Premier David Eby on down have expressed outrage at her son害羞草研究所檚 homicide and have promised enhanced police patrols on public transit in its wake.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 hoping that they can put more security,害羞草研究所� Indridson says of this. 害羞草研究所淲hen I was younger, there was a security guard or a transit police on the bus itself, when I was like 17.

害羞草研究所淚 thought there would be a lot more,害羞草研究所� she says.

TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn vented about the crime during an unrelated presser in Surrey on Friday,

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 angry, we害羞草研究所檙e really angry, I害羞草研究所檓 very frustrated, I害羞草研究所檓 bothered by these events and as a parent of two transit-riding kids, every single day, I am concerned,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淲e will not allow criminals or those who want to commit crimes to come onto our system.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檒l say as a father, I will say I was particularly shocked regarding the fatal stabbing of a teenager aboard one of our buses and our sincere condolences are with that young man害羞草研究所檚 family,害羞草研究所� Quinn said.

害羞草研究所淥ur Transit Police have already stepped up patrols in crime hot spots and the forthcoming 24 community safety officers will allow police to further focus their efforts on criminal activity. We害羞草研究所檙e always looking for new ways to improve safety on transit and I want to emphasize that if anyone feels unsafe on our system they should immediately text Transit Police at any time at 87-7777.害羞草研究所�

Indridson says two GoFundMe campaigns will help her surviving children and help put Ethan to rest. By press time, one set up by her sister-in-law Andrea Van Der Gracht had already raised $23,895 and one by another aunt, Daphni Miller, had raised $23,370.

害羞草研究所淭he outpouring of support and just people that are messaging me that are just, I don害羞草研究所檛 know them, but other mothers that are messaging me, the family, the friends, people I haven害羞草研究所檛 talked to since high school, it害羞草研究所檚 just amazing how communities come together but I just wish it wasn害羞草研究所檛 under these circumstances,害羞草研究所� Indridson said. 害羞草研究所淚 can feel it and I know Ethan is smiling down because that it害羞草研究所檚 what he would want in this type of situation, for his family not to feel alone and feel love and support.害羞草研究所�

Her younger children 害羞草研究所渁re devastated.

害羞草研究所淢y kids were all very close, they got along well, there害羞草研究所檚 very large age gaps between some of them. They connected in such a way that to me it was magical watching them together and Ethan was the largest piece of the puzzle.害羞草研究所�

Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards, officer in charge of the Surrey RCMP, offered his condolences to Ethan害羞草研究所檚 friends and family.

害羞草研究所淎s being the parent of a teenager myself this is absolutely heartbreaking,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淎fter all these years of being a police officer I still struggle with the senselessness of certain crimes. This is one of those crimes.害羞草研究所�

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke at Monday night害羞草研究所檚 council meeting also conveyed her 害羞草研究所渄eepest condolences.

害羞草研究所淎s a mom, I cannot imagine the pain Ethan害羞草研究所檚 family is going through,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚n addition to an increased police and security presence on transit, we are looking to arrange sustainable and long-term solutions. I will be reaching out to the premier, solicitor general and minister of health to ask for additional resources in policing and to make better use of technology to deter these crimes and identify the perpetrators.害羞草研究所�

Meantime, Surrey RCMP said police have no reason to suspect Ethan害羞草研究所檚 stabbing was 害羞草研究所渋n any way connected害羞草研究所� to a man害羞草研究所檚 throat being slashed 害羞草研究所� also on a Route 503 bus 害羞草研究所� at Fraser Highway and 148 Street on April 1. That stabbing resulted in the suspect, Abdul Aziz Kawam, being charged with four terrorism-related offences, with Kawam accused of committing the crime on behalf of the Islamic State otherwise known as ISIS.

Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards, in charge of the Surrey RCMP, on what police are doing about violence on public transit.

害羞草研究所� Tom Zytaruk (@tomzytaruk)

Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth told reporters in Victoria there害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渁 number of things under way害羞草研究所� to crack down in violence on public transit.

害羞草研究所淥n Friday my director of police services met a number of times with the police agencies, the RCMP, Transit Police and other police agencies in the Lower Mainland in terms of identifying are there additional resources required, what actions are needed,害羞草研究所� Farnworth said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 my expectation to see an increased policing presence on our transit system.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭his is an issue that is plaguing transit systems across the country,害羞草研究所� Farnworth said.

Shirley Bond, of the British Columbia United Party (formerly BC Liberal Party), slammed the NDP government.

害羞草研究所淲ell, no amount of patting themselves on the back will bring comfort today to a family whose son was on a bus and didn害羞草研究所檛 get home,害羞草研究所� Bond said.

害羞草研究所淭his Premier needs to stand up and acknowledge that people in British Columbia today are tired of the empty words. What they want is a Premier that will acknowledge the fact that they are afraid to take a bus in British Columbia. Who can possibly imagine that?害羞草研究所�

On Saturday a 20-year-old man was stabbed at Surrey Central SkyTrain Station, making it the third stabbing on public transit in Surrey in three weeks. Transit Police Chief Officer Dave Jones said there are no 害羞草研究所渃ommonalities or linkages害羞草研究所� between any of these cases.

害羞草研究所淢y emphasis here is this is an anomaly, the number of events that have occurred of this type of nature on the transit system. It moves hundreds of thousands of people every day,害羞草研究所� Jones said. 害羞草研究所淭here was no commonality between all of the events that have occurred, the separate incidents that have occurred.害羞草研究所�

Const. Amanda Steed, spokeswoman for Metro Vancouver Transit Police, said uniformed officers assigned several units have been pulled from their regular duties have been assigned to buses and SkyTrain in Surrey. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e trying to saturate the system with a visible presence. We害羞草研究所檝e also taken our detectives who work in a crime-suppression team 害羞草研究所� they害羞草研究所檙e in a plainclothes capacity so you might not see them but they are there 害羞草研究所� we害羞草研究所檝e taken them from their day-to-day duties and put them in hot spots where we害羞草研究所檝e identified where people aren害羞草研究所檛 feeling safe,害羞草研究所� she told the Now-Leader.

As for two of the stabbings happening on a Route 503 bus, Steed said she doesn害羞草研究所檛 know if that害羞草研究所檚 a coincidence. 害羞草研究所淎ll of the stabbings that have occurred and slashings that have occurred they害羞草研究所檙e not connected in any way, there害羞草研究所檚 no evidence to suggest that they害羞草研究所檙e connected. But does that say that maybe the 503 is a route that we might need to look at a little but closer and perhaps improve our presence on that route? Absolutely.害羞草研究所�

What害羞草研究所檚 fueling this recent violence is a question for the age.

害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 understand what害羞草研究所檚 happening, this is so abnormal, this is not normal, and we looked at other provinces who are having issues like this, with violence and weapons, and we were always lucky that that wasn害羞草研究所檛 happening to us but now for some reason in the last couple of weeks the world has just lost it,害羞草研究所� Steed said.

Bigger, more complex issues are at play, she suggests, 害羞草研究所渘ot necessarily just a policing issue, where this violence is coming from.

害羞草研究所淲e have to ask ourselves, what has brought these people to this spot? Why are they in this position, why are they exhibiting more violence and using more weapons that they have in the past? And I think it has a lot to do with mental health, and the drug crisis, and social housing crisis. I also think COVID also had a huge impact, we were isolated for so long. People are struggling right now, people who are already on the edge of a mental health break, they害羞草研究所檝e completely gone over the edge, and even people who didn害羞草研究所檛 suffer from any type of mental health before, they害羞草研究所檙e struggling.

害羞草研究所淧eople are really on edge.害羞草研究所�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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