SURREY – A Newton man was taken to hospital Tuesday morning after being assaulted during a home invasion-type robbery in the 14300-block of 72nd Avenue.
The 35-year-old man’s condition is stable. Police say he was attacked after two men broke into the residence at about 1:30 a.m.
“The investigation is still in its early stages, but initial indications are that this incident is targeted and involves parties known to each other,†Surrey RCMP Sgt. Bill Parmar said.
Meantime, it was a tragic weekend in Surrey with two shootings, a stabbing, a fatal house fire and a fatal traffic crash.
The shootings - number 40 and 41 in the Surrey/North Delta area since the beginning of March, were in Newton.
No injuries were reported after the Surrey RCMP responded to 911 calls of shots fired in the 8300-block of 128th Street at about 3 a.m. Sunday.
"This investigation is in its early stages and officers are still trying to determine if this incident is linked to any of the previous shootings that have occurred in Surrey and Delta," Sgt. Tom Thompson said.
Police believe many of the shootings since the beginning of March are linked to a local dial-a-dope turf war.
The second shooting was at 1:45 p.m. Sunday, in the 12300-block of 71A Avenue. A man suffered cuts from flying glass when a shooter in another vehicle opened fire on his.
At 5:55 a.m. Sunday police were called to the 8100-block of King George Boulevard where a 34-year-old woman was stabbed in the neck at a trailer park during a fight with another woman. The victim was taken to hospital and treated for her injury. Police said she received life-threatening injuries but is expected to recover.
"The investigation is in its early stages, but initial indications are that this is an isolated incident and involves parties known to each other," Parmar said.
Christine Pash, 23, of Surrey has been charged with aggravated assault. She appeared in court and has since been released on conditions.
Meanwhile, a 50-year-old man was killed in a house fire in Fleetwood early Saturday morning, in the 15600-block of 82nd Avenue. Surrey firefighters were called to the house at 12:23 a.m. and found the man in the basement. Assistant Fire Chief Steve Robinson said he was "likely sleeping at the time of the fire."
His name has not been released.
Police believe a burning cigarette was the source of the fire.
"The smoke alarm for the basement was disconnected and found on top of the fridge," Robinson said. "Tragically, this death may have been preventable. Working smoke alarms increase your chance of survival in a fire by 74 per cent."
The Surrey fire department advises everyone to test their smoke alarms and if you don't have one that works, you can call the fire department at 604-543-6700 and they'll install a free one for you.
Burning cigarette butts have kept firefighters busy in Surrey. Between June 1st and July 1st, Surrey firefighters fought 280 grass and brush fires.
"In the same period last year we attended 50," Robinson said. They've mostly been along boulevards, parks and at roadsides.
"Most of them are from improperly discarded cigarettes," Robinson said.
On Saturday afternoon a 57-year-old Surrey man was killed when his red SUV crashed head-on with a dump truck in the 17000-block of 32nd Avenue in South Surrey. He was pronounced dead at the scene, at about 4:30 p.m.
"Alcohol and speed have not been ruled out as contributing factors in this collision," Parmar said. "The incident is still under investigation."
The driver's name has not been released.
tom.zytaruk@thenownewspaper.com