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B.C. city has 1st homicide after senior dies from beating

Arrest comes about a month after 70-year-old who later died was reportedly assaulted
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Victoria police said a suspect has been arrested for murder after a victim of a suspected assault died in March. (Black Press Media file photo)

A suspect was arrested on Tuesday after being charged with murder in relation to an apparent assault last month, according to Victoria police.

Officers responded to a report of an assault at a residence in the 400-block of Chester Avenue on March 6, where they found a 70-year-old man suffering from life-threatening injuries.

Michael George King was arrested for aggravated assault later that day after he attended a neighbouring police department. Police learned on March 15 that the victim died in the hospital as a result of the injuries he sustained during the reported assault.

King was charged with second-degree murder on April 3, the B.C. Prosecution Service told Black Press Media. He was arrested on Tuesday and remains in custody.

“The offence is alleged to have occurred between March 6 and March 15 of 2023 at or near Victoria,” the prosecution service said in an email.

VicPD added it won’t be sharing more details as the matter is now before the courts.

When officers responded to the home where the suspected assault occurred on March 6, they noticed potentially hazardous material inside.

“Out of an abundance of caution, officers requested that the RCMP’s Clandestine Lab Enforcement And Response team (CLEAR) attend to ensure the residence was safe,” a Wednesday VicPD news release said.

Roads were closed in the area at the time as a safety perimeter was established around the residence.

READ: ‘Out of business’: Victoria mobile food vendor starts petition after city ends permits


 

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