'Stabbed multiple times by a stranger': Halifax police seek suspect in connection with random stabbing
Halifax Regional Police is looking for help in finding a suspect in connection with a disturbing incident in the city Friday evening.
A man in his 50s suffered serious injuries when he was stabbed outside a downtown restaurant.
Joe Bellefontaine identifies the victim as his son, 56-year-old Steve Bellefontaine.
Joe got the news in a frantic phone message from the younger man's fiancé.
"And when I called her, she told me that my son was stabbed multiple times by a stranger," said Joe.
The family says the incident was completely random.
The nightmare-scenario played out in the heart of downtown Halifax Friday evening.
Steve Bellefontaine told his dad he was having a drink at a restaurant near his home.
A couple had stepped outside for a smoke, he said, and when they returned, the man's face was bloody.
They said they'd been attacked by another man outside.
Steve Bellefontaine went out to investigate, and the man turned on him.
"A total stranger came right out of the clear blue, stabbed him multiple times, especially in the lower part of his stomach, and really caused serious damage," said Joe.
Steve Bellefontaine also suffered cuts to his head and defensive wounds on his arms.
He's had two surgeries so far, the latest Sunday night.
"We wouldn't be able to speculate on the motivations of the individual at this point," said Halifax Regional Police Const. John MacLeod.
However, police do have a description of who they're looking for.
The suspect is described as a white man in his late teens or early 20s, about five-foot-ten with a thin build and short dark hair. He was wearing a black T-shirt with white writing, black and grey pants, and red boots.
Even now, as he runs back and forth between his home and the hospital, Joe offers this prognosis.
"He's pretty strong. He's like me, he's fairly strong, which is good. Good, positive attitude. But he's got to be careful and he's got to rest for quite a bit more time," said Joe.
Joe Bellefontaine, 80, is also expressing concern about the apparent randomness of the incident.
"So, 8:30 in the evening, you hope it's fairly safe," he said. "It ain't."
Anyone with information on the suspect, the incident or video from the area is asked to contact police at 902-490-5016.
Anonymous tips can be sent to Crime Stoppers by calling toll-free 1-800-222-8477, submitting a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca or using the P3 Tips App.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.