Man arrested in White Rock homicide case charged with earlier, non-fatal stabbing, IHIT says

The suspect arrested Monday in connection to last week's fatal stabbing near White Rock Pier has been charged, but not with murder.

Homicide investigators announced Tuesday that the man they arrested in Surrey Monday afternoon is 27-year-old Dimitri Nelson Hyacinth.

He has now been charged with aggravated assault in connection to the non-fatal stabbing that occurred in the same area two days before the homicide last week, according to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.

Tuesday's statement is the first time police have explicitly linked the two stabbings, which shared the same suspect description in addition to taking place in the same general area and having South Asian men in their 20s as victims.

The first stabbing occurred on April 21 and injured 28-year-old Jatinder Singh. The second, on April 23, left 26-year-old Kulwinder Singh Sohi dead.

Community members held a vigil in Sohi's memory Sunday night, calling for his killer to be brought to justice. 

IHIT said its investigation into the homicide is still ongoing, though charges have not yet been laid.

"This is a dynamic and ongoing case," said Sgt. Timothy Pierotti, in the statement.

"The investigation into the homicide of Mr. Sohi remains active. We’re thankful for the collaborative work being done by the IHIT investigators along with the White Rock RCMP."

Police said they're still looking for witnesses, video and information related to Sohi's killing. They're asking anyone who was in the area near Grand Chief Bernard Robert Charles (Pa-Kwach-Tun) Memorial Plaza or driving on Marine Drive between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on April 23 to contact them at 877-551-4448 or [e-mail].