By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

UPDATE: Suspect arrested in possibly sexually-motivated hate crime

Apr 28, 2017 | 3:28 PM

NANAIMO — According to Nanaimo RCMP, they’ve arrested the man wanted for allegedly assaulting and tying up another man in a hotel room. 

Gabriel Stephen Nelson, 28, of Qualicum Beach was arrested without incident near Terminal Park Mall in Nanaimo. He’s been charged with aggravated assault, forcible confinement and robbery. 

He’ll appear at Provincial Court in Nanaimo on Monday, May 1.

A release from Nanaimo Mounties said they are also continuing to investigate what caused the alleged attack and if it is considered a hate crime.

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RCMP are investigating what could possibly be a hate crime based on sexual orientation.

Cpl. Jon Stuart said a visiting businessman was assaulted, tied up and threatened inside a downtown Nanaimo hotel room by a man he’d met at a bar at some point between the night of Wednesday, April 26 and the early morning of Thursday, April 27.

After the alleged attack, the victim was left in the room until he managed to free himself and call the police just before 9 a.m. on Thursday. He was taken to hospital for surgery after.

“We are treating this as a hate crime in the first instance because the victim in this case has reported he’s a member of the LGBT community,” Stuart said. He also commented hate crime investigations are uncommon in Nanaimo.

The suspect is described as white, 30-years-old with a medium build, receding hairline and has a goatee. At the time of the incident, he was wearing a white short-sleeve shirt with dark jeans and flip-flops.

The investigation is ongoing.

If anyone knows anything about the suspect or the incident, they’re urged to call Nanaimo RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

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