A man on a “dangerous crime spree” sent one man to the hospital and crashed a stolen car in Nanaimo on Labour Day.
On September 2, 2024, at about 1:45 pm, the Nanaimo RCMP began receiving calls about a man with a machete breaking windows, assaulting people and stealing a vehicle in the 2100 block of Duggan Road in Nanaimo.
According to police, witnesses reported that the suspect used a machete to break into a home. The homeowners fled, and the suspect then allegedly broke into another home and was chased out by the residents.
He reportedly moved on to a home on Davies Road, where he attacked and wounded a man in his driveway. The suspect then allegedly chased the man and his wife and demanded the keys to their vehicle.
The man was transported to Nanaimo Regional Hospital, treated and released.
Police said after the attack, they received a “flurry” of reports about a vehicle driving erratically at high rates of speed on Island Highway.
At the Comox Street and Terminal Avenue intersection, the stolen car clipped the cement median, flew through the air and continued heading Southbound on Terminal Avenue.
The driver turned West onto Albert Street, lost control of the vehicle, crashed at the intersection of Albert Street and Dunsmuir Street and fled on foot.
Several 911 callers then reported the suspect was in the parking lot at Port Place Mall and was trying to break into vehicles and was fighting with people.
Officers, many of whom were familiar with the man, responded to the scene.
Christopher Bartos, age 32 of Nanaimo, was arrested without incident after a brief foot pursuit, and detained for court on Sept. 3, 2024.
He has been charged with two counts of break and enter, two counts of robbery, one count of aggravated assault and theft of a motor vehicle.
Bartos remains in custody until a bail hearing scheduled for later today.
RCMP say the investigation is ongoing and more charges may be forthcoming.
Police are requesting that anyone with video footage of the events on Duggan Place or in the Port Place Mall parking lot between 1:30 pm and 2:15 pm on Sept. 2, 2024, to contact the Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345.
