Police charge suspect
Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services
Iqaluit (Jan 15/01) - A restaurant worker who came North to work has found crime more often associated with southern cities can happen here, too.
Dominic Levesque came from Montreal just over a month ago to take a job at The Snack restaurant.
On Jan. 10, he was beaten with a hammer and robbed while making a delivery.
The next day, he was still visibly shaken. His face was cut and swollen and one eye was black as a result of the attack.
His hands were also red and swollen, the after-affect of the cold while he lay recovering from the attack.
"I came here to work, not to be beaten up and almost killed," Levesque said with the help of restaurant manager Martial Fortin as a translator.
Fortin said Levesque told him the beating occurred when he arrived at a darkened house. He said the three men who met him at the door attacked him and stole the money he was carrying.
It was a busy night so the total cash Levesque had was probably close to $2,100, Fortin said.
"It is bad that it happened all for money," Levesque said. "If it was just for money I would have given it away.
"They didn't have to beat me."
Levesque managed to make his way back to the restaurant and police were called at about 2:45 a.m. He was taken to Baffin Regional Hospital and later released.
Sgt. Mike O'Malley said there has not been a crime of this nature since early 1999 when there were violent robberies outside bars.
"It shows that even though we are not a big city we have big city problems," he said.
Police have charged a 21-year-old man with robbery, assault causing bodily harm and breaches of trust and an undertaking the day after the beating.
A second person was being held by RCMP at press time. Police say that person will likely be charged as well.
The investigation is continuing and a third person is being sought by police.
Levesque planned to return to work this week.
"Not at night though," explained Fortin. "He'll be working during the day because it is still scary for him right now."
