‘Downtown Winnipeg is changing… getting worse and worse’ Convenience store owners’ son angry, fearful after attack leaves father with brain injury By: Erik Pindera Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022

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This article was published 18/10/2022 (798 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The son of a downtown convenience store owner who is in hospital with a serious brain injury after he was attacked by thieves says he’s outraged by the crime and violence his parents face daily.

The mom-and-pop owners, a husband and wife, caught a group — at least four people — stealing items at about 8:30 Saturday evening and told them to leave the small shop.

Jonathan Lim’s 65-year-old father made his way from behind the till area, which is surrounded by protective glass, to make sure they did so.

“When he asked, they didn’t want to leave, but eventually they kind of made their way out of the store. While they were making their way out of the store, they horse-collared my dad,” Lim, 31, said.

“They grabbed him by the collar… they threw him on the ground and he hit his head.”

The assault occurred in the vestibule between the street entrance and the door to the shop, Lim said.

Lim, who lives in Vancouver but flew in to be by his parents’ side at the hospital, requested the Free Press withhold their names, as well as the name of the store, which they’ve owned for about 20 years.

“He has a brain injury; he’s alert, but he has lost memory at the moment,” said the car dealership owner who moved west about 10 years ago.

He said his parents regularly face violent threats and he’s fed up with bloodshed in the city’s core.

“Shoplifting is part of the business — but it’s more how downtown Winnipeg is changing — it’s very violent these days. Every time I come back here, I see it getting worse and worse.”

A store clerk said theft has been a common occurrence during the year he’s worked there.

“They try to steal something, they try to rob the store…. Even I’ve caught lots of people, and I’ve called the police lots of times,” said the employee who didn’t want to be identified.

“Shoplifting is part of the business — but it’s more how downtown Winnipeg is changing — it’s very violent these days. Every time I come back here, I see it getting worse and worse.”–Jonathan Lim

“We don’t want to make any trouble, so we just ask them to leave.”

Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Jay Murray said the victim was taken to hospital in stable condition — but with injuries he described as “likely life-altering,” he said, adding Lim’s 60-year-old mother had minor injuries.

“It’s so senseless,” he said.

Two doctors who stopped at the scene were tending to Lim’s unconscious father when officers, including the police dog unit, arrived at the store on the 100 block of Donald Street. Murray said officers assisted until an ambulance arrived.

Major crimes investigators arrested two suspects on the first 100 block of Mayfair Place Tuesday.

A 51-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman from Winnipeg, whose names have not yet been released, will each be charged with robbery and aggravated assault. They were released by the courts on an undertaking.

“It’s so upsetting. I know there’s been arrests, but they constantly come into the store.”–Jonathan Lim

“It was certainly a priority for our major crimes unit, this investigation, and we’ve been able to locate two suspects and charge them with some serious offences,” Murray said, adding police are still investigating.

“It’s so upsetting. I know there’s been arrests, but they constantly come into the store,” Lim said.

“They’re very violent… there’s four or five of them assaulting a 65-year-old man — it’s just unnecessary.”

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @erik_pindera