Langford man in custody after attacking teens on Galloping Goose

A 32-year-old Langford man faces eight charges, including assault with a weapon and use of a disguise, after a group of teenagers were attacked on the Galloping Goose Regional Trail on Sept. 4.

Four teenagers called the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in West Shore around 10:20 p.m. on Sept. 4 to report that a man wearing a balaclava and “carrying a sharp weapon” had sprayed them with pepper spray on the trail near Atkins Avenue and Westwind Drive in Langford, police said in a news release.

The teens were involved in a brief altercation with the suspect before he ran off. One teen suffered cuts and sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital. The other teens were treated at the scene. The motive for the attack is not yet known, but police added that the victim and suspect do not know each other.

Shortly before 10:30 p.m., police received a call from a neighboring home on Kingswood Drive about a man matching the suspect's description who was behaving erratically.

Police, including West Shore RCMP canine units, arrested a suspect and subsequently confiscated a can of pepper spray and a knife.

Kai Seppala faces eight charges, including assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, dangerous possession of a weapon and wearing a disguise to commit a crime. He remains in custody and his next court date is scheduled for October.