Boy, 13, arrested after series of assaults in Winnipeg's West End and downtown

A 13-year-old boy is charged in connection with a number of attacks with bear spray and a weapon in the West End and downtown Winnipeg last month.

Theboy, who has eluded investigators since the incidents on Feb. 19, turned himself in on Wednesday, police said in a news release on Thursday.

He is charged with three counts of assault with a weapon, assault, robbery, carrying a concealed weapon or prohibited device, and four counts of possessing a weapon.

During the attacks, which started around 7:30 a.m.and continued until just before 1 p.m., four people were assaulted with bear spray and two others were chased with weapons.

At the time, police saidthere were two attackers involved in all incidents. Theywere described as men around 20 years old,and the public was warned that they were considered armed and dangerous.

Officers from multiple unitsincluding foot patrol, tactical support and major crimestried to find the two men but failed.

Through their investigation in the weeks after, police said they were able to identify a suspect but could not locate him. That was the boy arrested on Wednesday.

He has sincebeen released from custody, police said in a news release.

The major crimes unit continues to investigate and anyone with information isasked to call 204-986-6219 or to leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).