2 minors arrested after ‘random’ assaults on homeless people in Montreal’s Metro: police

Montreal Police (SPVM) say two minors were arrested Thursday night after they allegedly attacked homeless people in the metro in what appears to be “random” attacks.

Officers were first called to the Frontenac metro station at around 8:30 p.m. after receiving a call about an assault on a man.

Police spokesperson Raphael Bergeron told CTV News that the suspects repeatedly kicked and punched a man in his 50s who is believed to be homeless and then fled the scene. Police met up with the man who was being assisted by two Montreal public transit (STM) agents.

Minutes later, police received another call about an attack on a man believed to be homeless, also in his 50s, at Beaudry metro station. Police looked at the STM’s surveillance footage and realized the suspects in both incidents looked similar.

When officers arrived there, they found two 17-year-old boys and arrested them.

They met with investigators and were released on a promise to appear in youth court at a later date with conditions, including not going near metro stations, Bergeron said.

The victim was sent to hospital. The victims in both cases suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Bergeron said a motive is unclear, but said it “looks like it was random” attacks in both incidents.