Woman stabbed by stranger with dirty needle in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside

Officers in Vancouver are investigating another random attack in the city's core.

Around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 27, police were called after the incident near Main and East Pender streets in the Downtown Eastside. A 23-year-old woman had been attacked by another woman when she was leaving a coffee shop.

“Investigators believe the woman may have been followed out of the coffee shop and confronted by the suspect, who then stabbed her with [a] dirty needle,” says Sgt. Steve Addison in a press release. “Because we don’t know what was in the needle and whether there will be any long-term health impacts, the victim was taken to hospital for treatment.”

The suspect is a 35-year-old woman who is known to police. She was taken into custody shortly after the stabbing.

“All signs point to this being a random and unprovoked assault on a victim who did nothing wrong,” says Addison. “Fortunately, the victim quickly called police and we were able to identify a suspect.”

The investigation is ongoing says the Vancouver Police Department.