Attempted murder charge laid in Sarnia

Warning: Sarnia police have released video of a suspect running over a man with his car. CTV’s Gerry Dewan reports.

A Sarnia man is facing multiple criminal charges, including attempted murder, following two related incidents on Jan. 10.

At 12:10 a.m., Sarnia police responded to a disturbance at a home in the 1200 block of Afton Drive, where they learned there had been a fight between the accused and a 40-year-old man.

During this dispute, police said the suspect drove his red Mitsubishi SUV onto the victim’s front lawn, striking his e-bike with the intent of damaging it.

According to police, the suspect then got out of his vehicle and approached the home while brandishing a metal pipe, before leaving the scene.

After reviewing video evidence, police laid charges related to dangerous operation, mischief, and breach of a release order.

Officers initiated efforts to find and arrest the suspect, but they remained at large.

Around 1:45 p.m. the same day, police were called back to the same area for a report of a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle.

When they got there, officers found a man suffering from serious injuries.

According to police, video footage showed a red Mitsubishi SUV reversing aggressively toward the victim, striking him, running over him, stopping, then moving forward and running him over again — the vehicle then fled the area.

The victim was transported to the hospital for urgent medical care and was later determined to be in stable condition, with the full extent of his injuries still to be determined.

As a result of the two incidents, Hayden Leitch-Forte, 21, was arrested and held for bail.

Charges include

• Attempted Murder – Criminal Code s. 239(1)(b)
• Dangerous Operation of a Conveyance – s. 320.13(1)
• Mischief Under $5,000 – s. 430(1)(a)
• Fail to Comply with Release Order – s. 145(5)(a)

Following a bail hearing, Leitch-Forte was remanded into custody.