Police in Vancouver announced Tuesday (Aug 24) the arrest of a man who allegedly assaulted two strangers in Marpole Monday.
The apparent random assaults took place at around 3 p.m. Monday near Ontario St and SE Marine Dr, according to a release issued by the Vancouver Police Department.
The suspect, a 36-year-old man, reportedly approached a 37-year-old man and began to punch him in the face "for no apparent reason," after which the suspect began to follow a 65-year-old man, who he then punched in the head before wrestling him to the ground.
Authorities say witnesses stopped the attack on the older victim then called the police.
Responding officers were able to arrest the suspect before he left the area, notes the VPD. The suspect is known to police and has a violent past. He was taken to jail and faces assault charges.
Fortunately, neither victim suffered serious injuries.
“VPD has been alarmed by the significant increase in seemingly-unprovoked assaults throughout the city in recent weeks, and we’re pleased to have made an immediate arrest in this case,” says Sergeant Steve Addison. “We’re continuing to investigate any possible connections to other unsolved crimes.”
Stranger assaults, including those of a sexual nature, are on the rise in Vancouver, according to police.
On Aug. 18, the VPD reported three girls had been groped by a stranger near False Creek. “These girls were all near the seawall when a stranger on a bike grabbed them from behind and sexually assaulted them,” said Addison.
Earlier this month, dashcam footage shows a driver in downtown Vancouver being violently confronted by a man on the street who threw a bottle at him.
In late July, the VPD indicated a "concerning" increase in random assaults city-wide, following a plea issued by the department for witnesses of such an attack on the Granville Strip to come forward. That attack saw a man shove a stranger to the ground, pushed into traffic, and his wallet stolen.
