ON June 22, 2019, at approximately 11:40 p.m., New Westminster Police Department patrol members responded to a report of a stabbing outside of the MagnetiQ night club located at 27 Church Street. Officers located a man suffering from serious injuries and provided him assistance. He was transported to the hospital by BC Ambulance.

“Detectives worked diligently to gather evidence and locate a suspect,” said Chief Constable Dave Jansen. “Violence like this has no place in New Westminster.”

New Westminster Police Major Crime and Street Crime Unit investigators assumed conduct of the investigation. The investigation showed that a fight involving several persons took place outside the front doors of the night club and during this fight, the victim was stabbed. Detectives were able to identify and locate a suspect.

On October 8, 2020, Crown Counsel approved charges against a 25-year-old Surrey resident, Christian Arteaga Banegas, for aggravated assault.

“This investigation took time and our detectives wanted to ensure that it was a complete and thorough investigation,” said Sgt. Sanjay Kumar. “I cannot emphasize enough that carrying an offensive weapon, like a knife, is extremely dangerous and often escalates things out of control.”