Man, 42, charged after woman seriously injured in Westmount stabbing

A 42-year-old man has been charged in a Montreal courthouse Monday after allegedly stabbing a woman in Westmount.

Curtis Jonas is facing four charges, including attempted murder, after a 25-year-old woman was stabbed early Sunday morning on the corner of Maisonneuve Blvd. and Roslyn Ave. Police say the accused did not know the victim of the attack.

"The victim was walking on the sidewalk and the suspect stabbed her," said Montreal police (SPVM) spokesperson Veronique Comtois.

Comtois said two agents from the Westmount Public Safety Department on their patrol saw the assault in progress and intervened. They called the Montreal police, who arrested the suspect.

The victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition. On Monday, police said her condition is now serious but stable.

Jonas is also charged with one count each of aggravated assault, assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm, and with possession of a schedule I substance under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. He is known to police and has prior criminal convictions in 2018 for charges of possession of a weapon contrary to an order, failure to comply with a probation order, and unauthorized possession of a firearm, according to court records. A judge sentenced him to two years of probation. In 2014, he was also acquitted of an attempted murder charge. 

Jonas’s lawyer, Alan Guttman, told CTV News his client will undergo a mental health assessment on Tuesday.

Gail van der Walde lives in Westmount and awoke Sunday to see the street taped off by police.

"There's a lot of ruckus when bars typically close," she said.

"I've heard it before. People on the street: loud, aggressive, and it is disheartening to me and it is reassuring that the Westmount security apprehended this guy."

Van der Walde believes the city's security needs to be much more active as restrictions lift and the province opens up more.

"Given the COVID situation, I think the level of stress people are feeling right now is high, especially young people," she said. "I look at my circle of acquaintances and see that there's high stress."

She added that though Westmount is a relatively affluent city, residents should not feel that it's safer than other neighbourhoods, particularly at night.

"I've been living here all my life and, believe me, I don't feel that way at all," said van der Walde.

The stabbing was one of four acts of violence on the weekend that also included two shootings resulting in injuries.

There were no deaths related to the violent assaults, and police are investigating the other stabbings and shootings. 

With files from CTV News' Joe Lofaro