Suspect arrested in random attack on 'visually impaired' senior, Vancouver police say

Vancouver police have arrested a man suspected of an apparent random attack on a senior downtown late last month.

On Thursday, officers arrested a 29-year-old man "who lives in Vancouver and is known to police," said Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison in an email.

The suspect has been released from custody with a court date, and investigators expect he'll be charged with assault when he appears in court.

The investigation stems from an unprovoked attack on a 69-year-old man as he was walking in a crosswalk at the intersection of Alberni and Thurlow streets on March 31.

A week after the attack, on April 8, police notified the public of what had happened and asked for witnesses to come forward.

The suspect punched the man in the stomach and fled the area before officers arrived, police said at the time.

The VPD described the victim of the assault as "visually impaired," and said he did not suffer any physical injuries in the incident.

In a tweet on Friday, VPD Deputy Chief Howard Chow shared news of the arrest and described the suspect as a man "with a history of violent crimes and mental illness."

Chow's tweet was part of a series highlighting what he called "gains" the department is making in its efforts to solve stranger assaults in the city.

Police have previously said they respond to four stranger assaults per day, on average, in the city, and businesses and residents in the downtown core have complained of rising crime and street disorder. 

Chow said "there is still work to do" on the issue of random violence in Vancouver, but he concluded his Twitter thread by noting the success police have had in investigating stranger attacks when victims and witnesses come forward.

"The common thread in these cases is that citizens took action to help solve these crimes," the deputy chief wrote.

"Community safety is a shared responsibility. We're doing everything we can, but can’t do it without you. Please call police if you are a victim, or have information about a crime."