Vancouver Chinatown vandalism suspect arrested amid surge of reported incidents
Vancouver police say they've arrested a suspect in a spate of vandalism incidents in Chinatown.
The department says in a news release that officers patrolling the neighbourhood arrested a man in his 60s Wednesday afternoon.
The man allegedly wrote graffiti near Abbott and West Pender streets, before tagging a sign near Main and Keefer streets.
Investigators say the investigation is ongoing but also suspect the man is responsible for defacing other properties and landmarks in Chinatown.
Police say the man is expected to appear in court and be formally charged on July 31.
There's been a surge of reported incidents of mischief and vandalism in Chinatown, some involving racist messages, with police saying reports of graffiti are up by 455 per cent since 2019.
VPD Sgt. Steve Addison says there's “no quick fix,” but officers have been listening to residents' and business owners' concerns about violence, disorder and vandalism.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.