SATURDAY UPDATE: Stolen vehicle recovered, suspect still at large
Surrey RCMP on Saturday confirmed The VOICE’s report on Friday that the suspect allegedly assaulted the victim by throwing an accelerant on his body and proceeded to light him on fire.
Police said the victim suffered serious burns to his body and remains in hospital. He is recovering.
Surrey RCMP said: “The stolen vehicle which was used by the suspect has been recovered with the assistance of public. Surrey RCMP Serious Crime Unit has conduct of the investigation and officers are working diligently to explore all avenues of the investigation, including the determination of the motive of this assault.”
“We thank the public for their assistance in recovering the stolen vehicle and ask that you continue to be on the look out for the suspect who is still at large,” said Inspector Ian MacLellan, Officer in Charge of the Surrey RCMP Major Crime Section. “Our priority is to locate the suspect and take him into custody as soon as possible. We will continue to update you on our progress.”
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the suspect or if you have any information regarding the incident contact Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 and quote file 2024-113412
If you see the suspect, do not approach call 911.
FRIDAY REPORT:
SURREY RCMP are investigating a series of serious incidents which started at a business in Whalley and continued with a theft of vehicle.
On Friday, August 2 at approximately 1:10 p.m., police received a report of a serious assault in 10200-block of City Parkway. Frontline officers located the victim, who suffered serious injuries and was transported to hospital.
The suspect then proceeded to steal a vehicle and flee the area in a stolen white Mini Cooper with black stripes and black rims bearing British Columbia License Plate D80745 (see photo).
Police are actively looking for the suspect. The investigators are examining the scene, speaking with witnesses and canvassing the neighbourhood for CCTV footage. The investigation is still in the early stages and police are working to determine the motive.
The suspect is described as a young male, approximately 25-30 years old, with a moustache, wearing black pants, a black grey hoodie with black arms, and a green baseball cap with “Cariboo” written on it.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the suspect or any information regarding the incident is asked to contact Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 and quote file 2024-113412
If you see the suspect or the stolen vehicle, do not approach and call 911.
THE VOICE has been informed by a source that the victim is a Pakistani-Canadian businessman who was sprayed with some chemical and set on fire. (We will not carry the photo of the victim or a video that was taken after the assault).
One social media post reads: “Our beloved brother and respected community member Rahat Rao has been the victim of a horrific attack and is currently in critical condition, we request everyone make dua [prayer] for him. Please keep Rahat in your hearts and prayers.”
Rahat runs SNS Currency Exchange.
