Arrests made in 3 separate stranger assaults in 1 day in downtown Vancouver

Vancouver police say they were called to three different stranger assaults in the downtown core on Wednesday, and officers were able to arrest suspects in all three.

In a tweet, the Vancouver Police Department thanked "astute witnesses" for their roles in reporting each of the incidents. 

The first assault happened at a convenience store near the intersection of Georgia and Seymour streets, police said in an email to CTV News.

The suspect in that incident attempted to steal doughnuts. When store staff asked the would-be thief to leave, the suspect spat on them, police said.

The VPD recommended assault charges against the suspect, who also had an outstanding arrest warrant.

The second incident happened in the 800 block of Granville Street, which is the block between Robson and Smithe streets. Police said the victim of that assault was sitting on the ground "when a person not known to him came up to him and began kicking and punching him."

Police said they have recommended a charge of assault causing bodily harm against the suspect.

The third incident happened a few blocks away at the corner of Dunsmuir and Granville streets, where police said the suspect "randomly struck the victim in the face."

"While police were en route to the call, the suspect assaulted two other people," the VPD said in its email.

Police recommended charges of assault with a weapon and uttering threats against the suspect in that incident.

All three suspects were held in custody after their arrests, according to the VPD's tweet.

The incidents are just the latest examples of an ongoing trend of assaults on strangers in the city, which police have called "frightening and concerning."