Man assaulted, held captive in encampment for two days: police
37-year-old man arrested, being held in jail
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A 37-year-old man has been arrested after he allegedly assaulted and held another man captive for two days at an encampment in Saint John’s south end, according to city police.
The 42-year-old victim, who was found inside the encampment in the 100 block of Broadview Avenue by emergency crews on Friday afternoon, was transported to hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries, Saint John police said in a press release Tuesday morning.
Police tape still hung around the entrance to an encampment in that stretch of Broadview Avenue on Tuesday. A worker at the scene, who didn’t want to be identified, told Brunswick News he and other workers had been cleaning up encampments in the area over the last few days and had called the police in on Friday for assistance.
The release doesn’t say if the suspect and the victim were known to each other, nor provide details about the type of encampment where the victim was allegedly held captive.
Brunswick News asked for this information from Saint John police Tuesday morning. In an email, Saint John police Staff Sgt. Matthew Weir said the force wouldn’t be providing any additional details at this time in order “to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation and any subsequent court proceedings.”
According to court records, Christopher Rodney Williston, of no fixed address, was charged with aggravated assault by wounding Timothy Godin between April 20 and 26.
Williston appeared for a bail hearing on Monday and was released on conditions not to contact Godin, to report to police three times weekly, to abstain from carrying weapons and to appear in court on May 28, documents state.
Both the force’s major crime and forensic identification units continue to investigate the alleged aggravated assault.
“Detectives are appealing for witnesses or anyone in the area that has video footage or surveillance of the incident at the time it occurred,” police state in the release.
Anyone with information is asked by Saint John police to call the force at 648-3333 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
– With files from Andrew Bates
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