Man charged after stealing from daycare, stabbing cyclist outside Victoria police headquarters

A Victoria police vehicle outside the Johnson Street daycare on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024.

A 38-year-old man is facing six charges, including assault causing bodily harm, after he allegedly stole a computer from a downtown Victoria daycare and then stabbed a cyclist outside Victoria police headquarters.

Police responded just before 8 a.m. Tuesday to what investigators described as a random, non-targeted stabbing outside the police station near the intersection of Caledonia Avenue and Quadra Street.

The cyclist, who was just riding through the area when he was attacked, was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

While investigating the assault, police discovered the man had entered a daycare approximately one hour earlier, where he stole a tablet computer and pulled a fire alarm.

Parents who were dropping off their children at the Johnson Street daycare at the time, described a scene of panic as firefighters and several police officers, some armed with rifles, swarmed the building between Douglas and Blanshard streets.

"No children were believed to be in the vicinity of the suspect at the time of the incident," police said in a news release.

Detectives and the managers of the childcare facility are supporting the families and staff, according to the department.

Daniel Thomas Phelps has been charged with six offences, namely: assault with a weapon; assault causing bodily harm; mischief; possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose; causing a false alarm of fire; and theft under $5,000.

He remains in police custody pending a court appearance Thursday.