Police arrest one youth following recent violent attacks in Mount Pearl
Police continue to search for other youth involved
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary has arrested one youth it says is connected with recent violent attacks in Mount Pearl.
In a news release issued at 5 p.m. NT Monday, the RNC said a male youth is in custody facing charges in relation to one of two recent attacks on Roosevelt Avenue. He currently faces charges of aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, uttering threats, disguising with intent and breaches.
The RNC says more charges are expected to land, along with more arrests.
Police are continuing to investigate the two attacks, alleged to have took place on different parts of Roosevelt Avenue shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
CBC News has learned a bat-like weapon was used in one of the attacks, which left a man severely injured.
The RNC said a second attack happened a short time later. Social media reports suggest another man was beaten with a kind of stick, sprayed with an unknown substance that burned his eyes and had his nose broken.
Both men were taken to hospital with serious injuries, according to a news release issued by the RNC on Saturday.
Police believe the attackers in both incidents are a group of young people in the Mount Pearl area, and are asking anyone with relevant information or video footage to come forward.
Residents, council on edge
Earlier on Monday, Mayor Dave Aker said council is "very concerned about what we've observed."
"Our residents don't feel safe. They don't feel comfortable in our city anymore when they hear stories of a baseball bat, for example, being used to attack people."
The RNC investigated similar attacks in January, calling it organized criminal activity.
Aker said he feels not enough is being done to cut down on these repetitive attacks.
"The justice system is starting to let us down. There seems to be no accountability," he said.
"I'm fairly confident speaking for our businesses and our residents that crime is generally not so bad, but these isolated incidences are very violent and they have to stop."
Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley, who also had a career in community violence prevention, found news of the attack concerning.
She said she can feel a tense mood in the city following the incidents, adding council and others have a role to play in making sure something is done.
"Our role now is to offer accurate information. Talk to our leaders within violence prevention, within the RNC, within our government system," she said.
"There's not going to be one silver bullet to this matter as to solve everything, but we're going to start.… We're going to be focusing on solutions."
Aker said there's going to be a town hall event for residents. He hopes the RNC can attend, but that hasn't been confirmed.
Meanwhile, the MHA for Mount Pearl-Southlands says he wants to see police redeployments — and more police in general — to crack down on crime in the area.
"Quite frankly, the Newfoundland and Labrador that we might have known when you and I were growing up, I think it's changed tremendously," said Paul Lane.
"We're in different times, and you cannot resource our police force based on traditional models. We need to look at the realities of the drug situation, realities of the increased violence that we're seeing today, and they need to be resourced accordingly."
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With files from Terry Roberts
