Lock your doors and look out for any strange faces.
That’s the advice from residents in Anders after one of their neighbours was shot and attacked with a machete while trying to protect his property.
The 23-year-old man found an intruder breaking into his garage around 12:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
Police say the two men struggled and the victim received non life-threatening injuries. He was sent to hospital.
Police cordoned two homes in the area and searched them both for several hours on Tuesday afternoon.
Danyka Saxton, 19, who lives at one of the houses said the victim, who fled his attacker, made it to her house, at 64 Asmundsen Avenue, to call 911.
“He was trying to escape and got into our house because it was unlocked,” she said.
Saxton said she will feel safe as long as all the doors are locked.
Across the street from the Saxtons, lives Donald MacLure, who has resided there for nearly 17 years.
“The neighbours have to start keeping an eye on strange people in the area,” said MacLure.
The incident hit too close to home for him.
“You don’t really expect this to be happening, you hear about it somewhere else, but you don’t expect it in your neighbourhood,” said MacLure.
A neighbourhood watch sign is posted as you enter Anders Park, but residents on Asmundsen Avenue do not know if there’s an active neighbourhood watch group.
Jerry Baytalan, another local resident, said the police have been in the area talking to neighbours and trying to find witnesses.
On Tuesday, he heard commotion and came out of his house to find out what was going on.
Baytalan has lived in the neighbourhood for 17 years.
“I don’t know what that [neighbourhood watch] sign means because I have lived here 17 years but no one has contacted me,” said Baytalan.
Both MacLure and Baytalan do not remember any criminal activities in the neighbourhood since the time they have lived there.
“You’re always concerned, I guess, but robberies aren’t that unusual these days,” said Baytalan.
The police are looking for witnesses. They describe the suspect as an Aboriginal man, about 1.72 to 1.77 m (five-foot-eight to five-foot-10), in his early 20s with black hair. Anyone with information can contact the Red Deer RCMP at 403-343-5575.
mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com
