Kevin Lee Barrett, born in 1959, is charged with attempted murder of his mother.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK
May 02, 2019 - 3:43 PM
WEST KELOWNA - A man facing an attempted murder charge is fairly well known around his mobile home park as a trouble maker.
“He was introduced to me as a violent schizophrenic,” one man said. “I don’t know him well, I never wanted to know him. Just bad news.”
Several residents of the Westview Mobile Home Park on Westbank First Nation said they knew 60-year-old Kevin Lee Barrett had “issues." They also confirmed to iNFOnews.ca that the 79-year-old woman he is charged with attempting to kill was his mother.
She has a different last name but several residents in the park, who know her as “Elly," said she always referred to him as her son.
According to police, she was seriously injured in an assault April 29, then driven to a remote area near Bear Lake Forest Service Road and Westside Road and left. She was found around 8:30 that night by passersby who stopped to help. She was rushed to hospital by ambulance. Her current condition is not known.
Police said her assailant was “well known to her”.
Barrett was charged the following day with attempted murder.
His presence in the mobile home park appears to have largely been unwelcome. Most neighbours refused to offer their names for this story fearing repercussions. One resident said Barrett wasn’t supposed to be living with her but he was. They said “Elly” was nearly evicted not long ago. Their nearest neighbours made numerous complaints about noise and that he brought trouble-making friends.
Police made a clerical error in the spelling of his name as Barret — with one T. They have since corrected the spelling as Barrett. His Facebook profile — selfie photos from which were confirmed by neighbours as the same man — spells his name Barrett.
iNFOnews.ca and others reported, based on the original spelling, that Barrett had no previous criminal record. New information suggests he has a lengthy criminal history including allegations or convictions for uttering threats, assault causing bodily harm, unauthorized possession of a firearm, among others. He is due in court next week on another criminal allegation.
RCMP spokesperson Jesse O’Donaghey confirmed today investigators are still hoping an important witness in the case comes forward.
"Further investigation has led police to believe that the victim and the accused may have come into contact with the unknown citizen, during the early evening hours of Monday, while still inside the victim’s West View Village mobile home complex," O’Donaghey said. “We have reason to believe that the suspect re-assured the stranger that he was taking the injured elderly victim to hospital for care.”
Police urge the witness to come forward to speak with police immediately. Anyone with any additional information is asked to contact the West Kelowna RCMP General Investigation Section at 250-768-2880. Or remain completely anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or by leaving a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net.
Kevin Lee Barrett, 60.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK
Kevin Lee Barrett, 60,
Image Credit: FACEBOOK
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