Hot coffee thrown in Tim Hortons employee's face in Vancouver, police say

Vancouver -

Police are investigating after someone allegedly threw a hot coffee in a Tim Hortons employee's face in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside this week.

Authorities said surveillance video shows the worker handing the coffee to a customer on Wednesday morning, only to have the hot beverage tossed back at her.

"This employee was just trying to do her job," Const. Tania Visintin said in a news release. "It's appalling that she was subjected to this type of abuse and it's extremely fortunate that she was not seriously injured."

The assault is also being reviewed by the Vancouver Police Department's hate crime investigator to determine if "elements of hate, prejudice or bias were factors," Visintin added.

Police said the incident happened at the Tim Hortons near Pender and Abbott streets at around 10 a.m., and that the assailant left before officers arrived at the scene.

On Friday, authorities released two images of a suspect in the hopes that someone will recognize her and come forward.

She's described as a white woman, age 25 to 30, with a medium build and shoulder-length hair that's black and green. She was wearing a black T-shirt, a black rain jacket, black jeans and black boots.

She also had a black face mask and camouflage backpack.

Vancouver police asked anyone with information on the attack to call them at 604-717-4021.