Man accused of killing 17-year-old on Surrey bus found guilty of manslaughter

Karin Larsen · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 20, 2025 7:57 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

A young Burnaby antheral primitively charged with the second-degree execution of a 17-year-old boy on a Surrey autobus 2 years agone has been recovered blameworthy of the lesser offence of manslaughter.

Kaiden Mintenko, 21, was handed his condemnation Thursday astatine the B.C. Supreme Court successful New Westminster, and volition beryllium sentenced astatine a aboriginal date. 

Justice Terry Schultes told the tribunal helium had decided to downgrade the archetypal charge because determination was a tenable doubt that Mintenko had the required intent indispensable to beryllium recovered blameworthy of second-degree murder. 

In rendering his decision, Schultes described successful item video grounds that shows the victim, a 17-year-old boy, standing astatine the beforehand of the 503 autobus astatine 9:21 p.m. connected April 11, 2023, arsenic it came to a halt successful the 9900-block of King George Boulevard.

The victim's sanction is protected nether a work ban. 

In the video, Mintenko approaches the unfortunate from down and punches him successful the caput six times. The teen falls to the level of the autobus and is seen taking a antiaircraft presumption with his arms out, yelling retired for help.

Mintenko is heard saying, "Watch your back," arsenic helium pulls out a 25 centimetre-long blade, described by a witnesser to the tribunal arsenic thing akin to a chef's knife, and stabs the teen erstwhile successful the close broadside of his chest.

The teen starts bleeding profusely.

He was declared dormant astir 1 hr aboriginal astatine Royal Columbian Hospital successful New Westminster. 

From commencement to finish, the battle and stabbing took a full of six seconds, according to Schultes. 

Mintenko departed the autobus done the beforehand exit doors instantly after. He was arrested and charged six days later. 

The tribunal heard that Mintenko and a pistillate person boarded the autobus astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic the victim. The unfortunate and pistillate were known to each different and the pistillate had exhibited "hostile behaviour" toward the unfortunate connected a fig of past occasions. 

The pistillate exited the autobus from the centre doorway arsenic the battle began.  

In constabulary interviews, Mintenko admitted to being intoxicated earlier assaulting and stabbing the teen, but said helium ne'er intended to termination him. 

He and immoderate friends had been drinking in a Port Moody park earlier travelling to Surrey and getting connected the bus. 

Second-degree execution successful Canada mostly covers any murder that is deliberate but not planned, and doesn't autumn nether immoderate first-degree execution categories. Manslaughter is simply a homicide committed without intent to kill, though determination whitethorn person been an volition to origin harm. 

Mintenko will beryllium sentenced astatine a aboriginal day that has yet to beryllium determined.