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Pemberton stabbing

Local residents woken by knife-brandishing intruder

Two Pemberton residents had a terrifying wake-up call Friday morning, after a young man with a knife attacked them as they slept.

Twenty-one year-old Brandon Sarauer of Pemberton allegedly entered the victims’ home on Hemlock Street just after 5 a.m., and attacked the occupants. The 32-year-old male victim was able to subdue Sarauer while his partner ran to a neighbour’s house for help. He was injured in the process and was taken to the Pemberton Clinic for treatment.

Staff Sergeant Steve LeClair of the Whistler detachment says the victim’s injuries were relatively minor.

Police are unsure of the motive behind the crime, but say nothing was stolen, and there is no known connection between the assailant and the victims.

LeClair says they are seeking Sarauer’s detention until the matter is dealt with fully by the courts.

“So in this type of thing where his release may put the general public in jeopardy, we may oppose that release or urge the Crown to oppose that release,” LeClair explained.

Police also say the attack was an unprovoked, one-off event, and not a typical break and enter.

“Its not something we’re used to seeing in the corridor, and not even something we’re particularly used to seeing down in the larger areas that we police,” said LeClair.

In a press release issued Friday, local RCMP assured the public that there is no further threat to anyone in the area.

Sarauer is currently in police custody, and is scheduled to appear in court in North Vancouver on Thursday.

Local RCMP also initiated a “high risk takedown” on a vehicle early Friday morning, after receiving a complaint of threats uttered against a male at the taxi loop in Whistler.

The complainant said occupants of a passing vehicle threatened to kill him and alluded to having weapons. He described the vehicle and provided a partial BC license plate, which allowed the police to locate the vehicle heading south on Highway 99 near the Brio entrance.

After locating the vehicle, they cleared all of its occupants and completed a search of the vehicle to determine if there were any weapons.

No weapons were discovered, and all passengers were released after they were informed about why the take down and search was necessary. The passengers could have been charged with uttering threats, but there wasn’t sufficient evidence to pursue the charge.

RCMP issued a press release Friday, reminding members of the public that uttering threats is a criminal offense.