A female international student from Mexico was taken to hospital after she was randomly attacked by a Coquitlam man this past weekend.
The 26-year-old now faces multiple charges following the assault — and he was already wanted under the BC Mental Health Act.
Around noon on Sunday (March 27), the 18-year-old victim was walking with her friend near West Pender and Howe streets when a man allegedly approached them, "violently attacked her, and knocked her out," explains Vancouver police (VPD) spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison in a news release.
"The victim had never seen the suspect before, and because the victim was looking away, she was unable to defend herself."
Addison added it was unlikely the student saw her attacker before being sucker-punched.
"We believe that this man approached her either from behind or the side," he said.
VPD say she fell to the ground resulting from the incident and briefly lost consciousness.
Several eye witnesses came to her aid after the assault, including a doctor, and called 911. She was taken to hospital as a precaution.
Officers then obtained security video and a constable in the downtown core eventually found the attacker on West Hastings Street roughly 40 minutes after he ran away.
The man was arrested for assault, as well as breach of a probation order that required him to reside at a court-ordered treatment centre.
He's set to remain in custody until due in court.
- with files from Brendan Kergin, Vancouver Is Awesome
