A man convicted of randomly stabbing a stranger at a downtown Vancouver Tim Hortons in 2022 is back in custody, according to authorities.

David Richard Morin was arrested on a Canada-wide warrant for violating conditions of release at a rehabilitation center in Vancouver on Monday afternoon, the Vancouver Police Department announced in a press release Tuesday.

Morin pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison for aggravated assault for the unprovoked attack on a Mexican tourist. He was released after spending two-thirds of that time behind bars.

“Among the conditions of release was the obligation to refrain from consuming illegal drugs or alcohol,” the VPD said in a statement.

“The Canada-wide arrest warrant was issued following his alleged breach of these conditions.”

When Morin was released in June 2024, VPD issued a public warning.

“Police believe Morin poses a high risk of serious harm to the community and compelling circumstances exist to warn the public that he will be living in Vancouver,” police said at the time.

Morin was 27 when the violent attack on a Tim Hortons in January 2022 was caught on the coffee shop’s security cameras.

At the time, authorities said the attack occurred “completely without warning” and that the attacker and his victim did not know each other and had little interaction before the stabbing.

It was learned that the injured person, who was taken to the hospital, had life-threatening conditions but survived. She later described her ordeal to CTV News, saying through a translator that the attack left her feeling anxious when she went outside.

“He feels like someone is going to attack him from behind. He doesn’t feel safe wherever he goes,” the translator said at the time.

VPD said Morin remains in custody.

CTV News Vancouver’s Ian Holliday has files.