A man has been charged in the stabbing death of Kulwinder Singh Sohi in White Rock, B.C., last week, according to police.
Dimitri Nelson Hyacinth, 27, is charged with second-degree murder in the 26-year-old’s death on April 23, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said in a Friday news release.
Hyacinth was arrested on Monday and is also facing aggravated assault charges in relation to the non-fatal stabbing of another man near the pier on April 21, police said previously.
Court records show Hyacinth is set to appear in court on May 23 in Surrey for both charges. There is a publication ban on information arising from Hyacinth’s bail hearing and other pre-trial motions.
The two incidents occurred along the White Rock promenade, a popular tourist attraction, sparking a manhunt and widespread concerns in the community.
Both attacks were on young South Asian men. Kulwinder Singh Sohi was fatally stabbed last Tuesday, while Jatinder Singh was left with non-life-threatening injuries after a stabbing two days earlier.
“These events have had a significant impact on a community,” IHIT Sgt. Timothy Pierotti said in a statement Friday. “I hope that today’s announcement provides a further sense of relief to those who frequent the White Rock promenade.”
Tensions soared at a public meeting in White Rock following two stabbings on the city’s promenade last week. Investigators say a Surrey man has been charged with aggravated assault in relation to one of the stabbings. At the meeting, RCMP faced questions about public safety.
The incidents sparked fear in the community, and pressure from Sohi’s family and friends for police to apprehend a suspect.
On Sunday, Sohi’s brother, Gurleen Sohi, criticized police for not increasing patrols in the area after the first attack.
Sohi’s friend and former roommate Gagan Singh, who knew the 26-year-old from before he immigrated to Canada around 2018, said that his friend was a plumber who recently obtained his Red Seal certification.
“I’m in shock, because I just spoke to him [Tuesday] afternoon, and he was very happy,” Singh said. “To me, it’s just like I’m living in a dream and I can’t imagine that he’s not here.”
Sohi was described as a personable, socially active and easygoing man by his friend, who said he had never seen the Surrey man argue with anyone.
“He’s a very young guy, very talented, very skilled and he’s not with us anymore. That’s very tragic and shocking,” Singh said.
Jatinder Singh, 28, suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the April 21 stabbing, but has been left with stitches that make it difficult for him to work at the mill where he is employed.
His wife, Manpreet Kaur, says that incident is causing them to re-evaluate their recent entry to B.C., as she is a student and the couple now faces trouble making ends meet. They only arrived in Canada on Feb. 28.
“It’s a very bad welcome to Canada … There’s no security, nothing in Canada,” she told CBC News.
The couple, said they have little capacity to pay any medical bills that arise, with Kaur saying they are considering a return to India.