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UPDATE: Suspect charged with attempted murder for allegedly stabbing 16-year-old girl

NANAIMO – Arshil Azim Parekh, 19, was charged with attempted murder in provincial court Wednesday.
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An RCMP forensic unit member carries an evidence bag containing a knife found in shrubbery in the front yard of a home on Rock City Road Tuesday afternoon. Nanaimo police conducted a search to find the weapon used in a stabbing on Fairway Crescent earlier in the day.

A victim who was stabbed multiple times is recovering in hospital and police have a suspect in custody following an attack in a  Rock City neighbourhood Tuesday.

The attack happened shortly before 12:30 a.m. when several 911 calls came in reporting an assault in progress, a female yelling for help and that a man was seen running from the area.

Officers arrived to find a 16-year-old girl on the 3300 block of Fairway Crescent bleeding from what appeared to be multiple stab wounds.

She was rushed to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.

Police Dog Services were called to the scene at about 1:20 a.m. from where Cpl. Dean Muir and police dog Arco followed a track to a man a few blocks away on Colwood Road.

The suspect, Arshil Azim Parekh, 19, was arrested without incident and charged with attempted murder in Nanaimo provincial court Wednesday.

The victim underwent emergency surgery and is currently recovering in hospital where she is expected to remain for several days.

Tuesday afternoon police started a grid search of the area to find the weapon used in the attack. An RCMP forensic team recovered a knife found within some shrubbery in front of a home on the corner of Colwood Road and Rock City Road shortly before 1:30 p.m., but police have not confirmed it was the actual weapon used in the stabbing.

Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, said the attack was not random, the victim and her assailant knew each other and investigators will be looking into their relationship prior to the assault.

Parekh was held in custody until his next court appearance by video link on May 20.



Chris Bush

About the Author: Chris Bush

As a photographer/reporter with the Nanaimo News Bulletin since 1998.
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