Vancouver coffee shop stabbing victim speaks out about his terrifying ordeal
The bandages are a painful reminder of an experience Miguel Angel Zepeda Machorro wishes he could forget. The 25-year-old Mexican man is visiting Vancouver, and was the victim of a vicious attack inside a downtown Tim Hortons last week.
He doesn’t speak English, but, through a translator, he told CTV News about the terrifying ordeal, and how he feared for his life.
"He says he's having a lot of pain around the area where the two stabbings went in on the side and in his arm," said Machorro’s translator. "He feels a lot of anxiety. He feels that when he's outside, he says that he feels somebody's going to attack him in the back. He feels insecure, anywhere he goes."
On Saturday, Jan. 22, Vancouver police say the 25-year-old was rushed to hospital with life-threatening stab wounds. The attack occurred around 6:20 a.m. inside the Tim Hortons at Harbour Centre, near Seymour and West Hastings streets. The victim, a newcomer to Canada, was waiting in line when the suspect approached from behind and repeatedly stabbed him in the back and shoulder before running out of the store. Police took the rare step of releasing surveillance video of the attack, due to their increasing worry about the public’s safety.
Thanks to a number of tips from the public, Vancouver police say they made an arrest in the case on Tuesday, Jan. 25, shortly after 4 p.m. near Granville and Helmcken streets. Twenty-seven-year-old David Richard Morin has been charged with one count of aggravated assault. He remains in custody.
"He says he hopes he's not let go, to be free out with everybody else,” Machorro’s translator said. “It happened to him it can happen to anybody else as well."
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with medical bills totalling in the thousands of dollars, as well as other expenses, to help his recovery.
"He remembers going into the Tim Hortons,” said Machorro’s translator. “He says he remembers lining up and a person walked by on his side and then all of a sudden he fell. Then, after he watched the video he realized it didn't happen in his mind the way he was thinking.”
With no family in Vancouver, Machorro says he is thankful for all of the support and messages he has been getting from the community. Doctors say he is incredibly lucky to have even survived. They told him if the knife was two centimetres in a different direction, there’s a very good chance he might have died. Doctors say his physical wounds should take up to two months to heal, but the attack, of course, has had severe negative implications on his mental health.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Here's what 'the hinge' move is, how to do it correctly
When you're picking something up from the floor or bending over to tie your shoe laces, you're performing "the hinge move," according to movement trainers.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Tips to make a house or apartment safe and accessible for older adults living at home
Here's a summary of tips from the U.S. National Institute on Aging and AARP, which offers a free room-by-room guide with practical suggestions for older adults living independently.
Trump heading to Jersey Shore to rally 'mega crowd' in weekend break from hush money trial
After a long week in court, Donald Trump is heading to the Jersey Shore. And his campaign says he'll be joined by "tens of thousands" of his friends.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.