A man is in police custody following a deadly assault in the Newton area of Surrey.

Police were called to a strip mall just after midnight on January 2 to the 7500 block of 120th Street in response to the altercation as it was in progress.

They found a deceased male victim and then discovered the suspect, a second male, in the vicinity.

This 33-year-old man is being held in a cell in the Surrey RCMP detachment. He has no known ties to criminal gangs.

According to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, "multiple persons" witnessed the incident.

“One of the witnesses did a good job of keeping an eye on the suspect from a safe distance after he fled the scene, and was able to direct police to his whereabouts,” IHIT Const. Harrison Mohr said in a news release. “Frontline Surrey RCMP officers responded quickly and arrested the suspect minutes after the altercation, and also located a possible weapon involved in the murder. Their efforts have benefited this investigation immensely.”

The victim still hasn't been identified and it's not known if he knew the assailant.

Anyone with information is being asked to contact the RCMP at 604-599-0502. People can also make tips anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.