Harvey Sanderson Jr. remains in critical condition after a brutal beating Thursday, July 28, 2011. Sanderson suffers from brittle bone disease and uses a wheelchair. (FACEBOOK.COM)
A man with a lengthy criminal record and woman who appears to have been on probation have been arrested in the brutal beating of a 27-year-old man with disabilities.
The pair are also accused of robbing Harvey Sanderson Jr., police said Tuesday.
The victim, who suffers from brittle bone disease and uses a wheelchair, had gone up to his Kennedy Street apartment late Thursday for a drink with the pair, police said.
Sanderson was attacked. Police believe about 12 hours may have passed before a health-care worker went to the suite late Friday morning and found the badly injured man.
Emergency crews rushed the man to hospital in critical condition, where he remained Tuesday.
Neighbours expressed disbelief at the brutal attack of a man many describe as friendly and outgoing.
“A lot of people are in shock. The way I’m thinking — you see a person in a wheelchair, how could you do that to a person that is vulnerable?” said John Tanner, one of Sanderson’s neighbours at 388 Kennedy St.
“He’s a nice guy. He doesn’t like to be in his suite, he likes to be out and about.”
Shock, followed by outrage, was the reaction of one Winnipeg advocate for persons with disabilities. But sadly, Harry Wolbert suggests it’s not a surprise.
“Criminal elements usually target the most vulnerable in our society, those who can’t speak or defend themselves,” he said, adding, “That’s beside the point. Nobody should be treated the way Harvey was.”
On Tuesday, police released the names of the two people accused in the attack. The pair were arrested days before at the same Manitoba Housing complex that was the scene of the beating.
Bobbi Melissa McKay, 27, is charged with robbery and aggravated assault and two counts of failing to comply with a probation order. Court records show she was convicted in November of theft under $5,000, along with a pair of court breaches, and placed under one year of probation.
John Raven Ward, 27, is charged with robbery, aggregated assault and being unlawfully at large. Police did not provide many details, but said the man was on parole and wanted on a warrant at the time of the attack.
Ward has a record that includes convictions for nearly two dozen thefts that involved break-ins, along with five robberies, according to court documents. He also has a previous assault conviction.
No comments:
Post a Comment