On October 29, 2024, at 12:05am 1 District (St. Catharines / Thorold) uniform officers from the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) responded to a report of a stabbing in St. Catharines.
Officers attended the area of Gale Crescent and Frank Street. An adult female victim was receiving treatment from Niagara Emergency Medical Services paramedics for a serious injury. The victim was transported to an out of region hospital. The injury believed to be nonlife threatening.
The initial investigation determined the victim was acting as a sex-trade worker at the time of the incident. The male suspect and female victim had a brief interaction before the suspect suddenly became violent and assaulted the victim with a knife.
The suspect fled the scene in a grey 2012 4 door Ford Fiesta parked nearby (see similar to photo).
Detectives from the NRPS Sexual Assault Unit were assigned to the investigation. They were assisted by 1 District detectives. As a result of the investigation detectives were able to identify a suspect. On October 29, 2024, at 1:15pm the suspect was arrested at a residence in the area of Canterbury Drive and Exeter Drive in St. Catharines. The Ford Fiesta was located and seized for forensic examination by Forensic Services Unit detectives.
Braxton Edward Winnik (19 yrs.) of St. Catharines has been arrested and charged with the Criminal Code offences of:
Aggravated Sexual Assault Sexual Assault with a Weapon
Winnik is described as:
White male 5’10” feet tall 126 lbs. – slim build Blue eyes Brown moustache and goatee Brown short straight hair
Winnik was held in custody for a video bail hearing to the Robert S. K. Welch Courthouse in St. Catharines on October 30, 2024.
Prior to this incident the victim and Winnik were not known to each other.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the investigating officers by calling 905-688-4111, option 3, extension 1009407.
Members of the public who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to persons who contact the program with information which leads to an arrest.
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