Residents of a mobile home park in Surrey, B.C. were awoken at 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday by the sounds of a violent clash between two men—one wielding a bottle as a weapon, while the other defended himself with a bloodied hockey stick.
Trevor Halford, MLA for Surrey White-Rock recounted the incident later that day in question period: “In the early morning hours, a man in psychosis broke into multiple Surrey homes. And the result, an elderly resident brutally attacked—fleeing to a neighbour’s house, covered in blood.”
“This attack is a direct result of the Premier’s failure to address the issues of untreated mental illness and addiction,” Halford continued.
Police received a call of a man attacking people while attempting to enter their homes near King George Boulevard and 160 Street on Feb. 25.
Security footage from a residence, obtained by CTV News, captured a large man approaching the front door and pounding on it.
Moments later, an elderly male homeowner answered, only to be violently attacked by the man, who appeared to be holding a large liquor bottle. A struggle ensued as both men traded blows.
“I looked out and saw him on the ground, and this man—this big man—was on top of him, just pummeling him,” said Liana Wicklund, a resident who lives nearby. She said she dialled 911, but the situation quickly escalated.
While the security camera did not capture the full altercation, audio from the footage recorded the victim’s desperate cries for help.
The suspect was then seen leading the homeowner’s female partner back toward the house, demanding she hand over her car keys.
The commotion jolted other neighbours awake.
“We were asleep, and we just heard banging and yelling—‘Help! Help!’” recalled Julie Ropas.
“All we saw was him standing there, holding a bloody hockey stick. It was frightening,” Ropas said. The couple rushed to assist their injured neighbour before he ran back to aid his wife across the street.
But the suspect’s rampage didn’t end there.
“I watched him proceed to the next home,” Wicklund recounted. “He was banging and smashing on the vehicle.”
The situation escalated further when the man allegedly shattered a window at a nearby park boardroom. Police arrived shortly afterwards and took him into custody.
But the chaos didn’t end there either.
According to Fraser Health, the suspect was taken to Peace Arch Hospital where another “serious incident” unfolded involving the suspect and an altercation with police and hospital staff.
“The matter is still under investigation, but at this time, this appears to be a random incident, and the suspect is unknown to the victims,” said Sgt. Tige Pollock of the Surrey Police Service.
“The suspect does have a history of violent offences,” said Sgt. Pollock of SPS.
David William Charles Hoffman was charged on Wednesday with two counts of breaking and entering, assault, two counts of mischief under $5,000 and one count of breaching a release order.
The BC Prosecution Service confirmed that Hoffman made an appearance in court on Wednesday evening and has been remanded in custody until March 3, when he will appear in court for a bail hearing.