A 30-year-old Vancouver man arrested last month in connection with a vandalism spree in North Vancouver has now been charged with an attack on a homeless person in West Vancouver.
Jessie James Constant Olson faces charges of assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm in connection with the case.
The apparently unprovoked assault on the homeless person happened early Tuesday morning, June 14, when a suspect approached the 55-year-old victim in West Vancouver and began yelling at him, police said at the time. The suspect also threw several large rocks, resulting in lacerations to the victim’s head and hand.
Investigators said the victim did not know the suspect.
Surveillance footage captured nearby showed the suspect was a light-skinned man with dark, curly hair. At the time of the attack, he was wearing a black hoodie, black pants and black shoes as well as a blue hat.
Police arrested Olson days after seeking public help in identifying the suspect captured on a surveillance camera.
Not long before the assault, someone also perpetrated a spate of vandalism on businesses and vehicles along Marine Drive in North Vancouver. Residents reported dozens of smashed windows and other damage to property.
Multiple buildings at three different locations in North Vancouver were targeted over a three-day period, June 14-16.
Windows of businesses and vehicles and security cameras were smashed, along with fob scanners used to enter office and apartment buildings. In some cases, hoses were turned on and put inside mail slots, resulting in water damage, according to North Vancouver RCMP spokesman Sgt. Peter DeVries.
Video and images shared by business owners in the area showed a man whose appearance is identical to that of the assault suspect in the image released by West Vancouver police.
Olson faces three charges of mischief for damage to buildings that happened in North Vancouver between June 14 and 15 at 2070 Curling Rd., 2030 Marine Drive and 340 Brooksbank Ave., as well as one charge of obstructing a peace office in North Vancouver June 16. He also faces charges of assault with a weapon, threats and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose for events that happened June 10 in North Vancouver. Olson is also charged with being unlawfully in a dwelling house at 7072 Inlet Drive in Burnaby on April 11, 2022 and with three counts of breaching a probation order.
Olson remains in custody. His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 4 in North Vancouver.
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