Man formally charged with attempted murder after stabbing at Longueuil courthouse
Posted January 10, 2024 1:07 pm.
Last Updated January 10, 2024 5:23 pm.
A 44-year-old was formally charged Wednesday with attempted murder in the stabbing of a man at the Longueuil courthouse the day before.
The 68-year-old victim, Hai Thach, remains in critical condition. He is a court interpreter.
Alexandre Garcés also faces charges of aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and carrying a weapon for dangerous purposes.
Court documents specified that a knife was the weapon allegedly used in the attack.
On Tuesday – a call came into police just before 12 p.m. about an armed attack – the victim sustained serious neck injuries.
The suspect was arrested on the scene.
Garcés appeared Wednesday morning by video conference from the offices Longueuil police (SPAL).
The prosecutor objected to his release and he is due back in court on Thursday where a bail hearing is expected to take place.
They also indicated that aide juridique de la Rive-Sud, the South Shore legal aid lawyers, refused to represent the suspect – citing a conflict of interest.
A lawyer who witnessed the aftermath of the attack described Thach as a well-known court interpreter and said his face and head were covered in blood after the stabbing.
The professional order representing interpreters and translators in the province issued a statement on social media.
“We were profoundly saddened to learn of the assault suffered by one of our members yesterday at the Longueuil courthouse,” the Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interpretes agrees du Quebec wrote. “Our thoughts are with Mr. Thach in this difficult time, and we wish him a prompt recovery.”
–With files from The Canadian Press
