A 24-year-old London man is facing charges in a pair of random weekend stabbings downtown.
London police were called to the first stabbing in the area of Ridout Street North and York Street around 11 p.m. Saturday. Officers arrived to find a person suffering from apparent stab wounds. That individual was taken to hospital with serious, but non-life threatening injuries.
Roughly an hour later, a second stabbing was reported at the intersection of Clarence and King streets. Injuries were minor and did not require medical treatment, police said.
Using video surveillance, officers determined the same person was responsible for both stabbings.
"In both of the reported incidents, the suspect male had asked each of the victims for directions prior to stabbing them," police said. "Neither of the victims knew the suspect male."
A 24-year-old man was arrested in relation to the stabbings early Sunday morning. He has since been charged with assault with a weapon, aggravated assault, and breach of probation. The accused is scheduled to appear in London court in relation to the charges on Monday.
Police Chief Thai Truong took to X, formally Twitter, to commend officers for their speedy work in the case.
"The swift and professional response of our officers ensured that the suspect was taken into custody without further harm to the public," Truong wrote. "This incident, like many others, highlights the unpredictable and often dangerous nature of police work."
