EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this story stated both victims sustained knife wounds.
A 19-year-old man is facing a number of charges after police say he assaulted a man and woman with a knife in a Halifax apartment building.
Police say a man called 911 at around 2:40 a.m. Sunday morning to say someone with a knife had broken into his apartment at 1333 South Park Street.
When police arrived they found the man had defensive cuts on his hands. He told them he was able to escape, but the suspect was still on the 10th floor.
When officers got to the 10th floor, they heard a woman screaming. She was bleeding from cuts to her face and head and said the attacker was still in her apartment. Police went into the apartment and arrested the suspect without incident.
The man and a woman were sent to hospital injuries that aren’t considered life threatening.
Police said the attacks were unprovoked and the suspect was not known to the victims.
They also said the suspect appeared to be under the influence of some sort of substance.
Despite the attacks being random, at least one resident of the building said he’s not concerned about safety.
The 19-year-old suspect, identified by police on Monday as Pedro Jose Espinosa Ribadeneira, is facing charges including assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, forcible confinement and two charges of break and enter. According to court documents, Ribadeneira lives in the building.
He appeared in Halifax provincial court on Monday and is set to appear again Tuesday morning.
– With files from Steve Silva, Global News