Richmond Row business owner says she’s not surprised after random act of violence near her restaurant
It is what many people consider a safe space, secure in the confines of their own vehicle, but a stabbing on Richmond Row may have changed that for many.
It happened around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon as a driver in a southbound car was waiting for a train to cross Richmond Street, just south of Piccadilly Street.
"A man was stopped at the train tracks in his vehicle and another man had entered the vehicle and stabbed him,” said London Police Const. Sandasha Bough.
Police released a number of images of a suspect and announced early Wednesday afternoon that an arrest had been made. Bough said there's no indication the suspect and victim knew each other.
One person who saw surveillance video of the scene at the time of the crime, but doesn't want to be identified, said the suspect was walking south along Richmond Street and stopped for the passing train. They said he stood on the west-side sidewalk for a while and then circled out into traffic just before the stabbing happened.
Witnesses said the suspect left the vehicle and took off on foot. The victim actually turned his vehicle around, driving north on Richmond Street and then pulling onto Piccadilly Street before coming to a stop and calling for help.
He was taken to hospital and remains listed in critical condition.
"Without any reason they just harass you or they ask you for a cigarette, and if you say no they can do anything," said Aahuti Rajan.
The new businessperson said she sees more volatility on the streets and said the stabbing doesn’t surprise her.
Fin City Fish and Chips is located steps from where a stabbing occurred March 21, 2023. Owner Aahuti Rajan said she keeps the door locked when she is alone in the shop because of volatile behaviour on the street. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)
Rajan and her husband opened Fin City Fish and Chips in August. When she's alone in the business, the door remains locked.
"I put a note on a paper,” she explained. “When you want to come in for dinner or a pick-up, give me a call or knock on the door and I'll open the door."
Fin City is just steps from where the stabbing happened, and she said it's incidents like this that have her prioritizing safety over potentially losing customers.
"It's an extra step to get in, so that's how it affects my business, but I cannot compromise on that. I'll sacrifice my business -- a hundred dollars -- but it's my life,” she said.
Bough said however that even with the arrest, the Major Crimes Unit is continuing the investigation, and are asking for any information that may help with that investigation.
"We are appealing to members of the public if you have any dash-cam footage, and video surveillance, anything that could assist us, please contact us,” she said.
Many waiting for trains throughout the day Wednesday said they hadn't heard of the stabbing, but Dorothy Dent said it will change one of her behaviours, and told CTV News London, "I'll lock my doors."
At this point, the identity of the suspect and any charges he may be facing have not been released.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
For the first time in report's history, Canada's air quality worse than U.S.
Air quality in Canada is now worse than in the U.S., according to the 6th Annual World Air Quality Report. Of the 15 most polluted cities in the two countries, 14 were in Canada.
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
BREAKING Roy McMurtry, former Ontario attorney general, dies at 91
CTV News has confirmed that former Ontario attorney general Roy McMurtry has died.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
DEVELOPING Canada's annual inflation rate ticked down to 2.8 per cent in February, defying expectations
Statistics Canada says the annual inflation rate edged down to 2.8 per cent in February.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.