Vancouver woman hospitalized in Mexico after being assaulted by stranger
What was supposed to be a week of relaxation in Mexico has turned into a nightmare for a Vancouver woman.
Jamie Coutts, 27, and her friend Genevieve Thomas, flew to Playa Del Carmen last week to get away from the cold winter weather in B.C.
On Sunday night, the pair, along with two other women they met on the trip, were walking back to their hotel after spending the evening in town. That’s when Coutts said a stranger who had previously approached the women at a bar, continued accosting them.
“We pretty much told him to beat it, and he didn’t like that response,” said Coutts.
She says the man charged towards them, punching her and Thomas in their faces and leaving them unconscious.
“I (regained consciousness) in a taxi with a Mexican woman holding me, covered in blood, with her saying she’s taking me to the hospital,” Coutts said.
Coutts suffered a broken nose and tooth, and required multiple stitches for a laceration around her eye. Genevieve required stitches for a gash on the back of her head that she suffered after being punched to the ground.
Coutts said the suspect was arrested that night, and police in Playa Del Carmen told her he is a Canadian man.
CTV News reached out to Global Affairs Canada, but the agency would not provide details on the incident, only saying they are aware of a Canadian being detained in Mexico, and are in the process of gathering more information from Mexican officials.
The attack is the second troubling encounter Coutts has had with a stranger this year. In March, she recorded a stranger following her on foot through downtown Vancouver for 40 minutes. The man, eventually identified as Vancouver resident Mohammed Majidpour, received a court order to stay away from her.
Saturn Rose, a close friend of Coutts, said dangerous encounters with unknown men are a harsh reality for many women.
“It could have easily been me,” she said. “It’s so devastating. (Jamie) goes to Mexico to have fun with friends and ends up with a broken nose and her eye swollen shut. She’s trapped in Mexico now.”
Coutts was supposed to return to Vancouver on Dec. 8, but doctors won’t let her fly for at least another week.
“(Doctors) want to make sure no blood clots happen while I’m flying,” Coutts said.
Medical officials in Mexico told Coutts her nose will require reconstructive surgery. Because Coutts doesn’t have travel insurance, Rose has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with the expenses.
“If people want to support the GoFundMe, you don’t even have to donate, you can just share it,” said Rose. “Sharing is so important because it reaches people and gets the news out there that this isn’t OK, and we need to support the women in our community.”
As Coutts waits until she’s medically clear to fly back to Vancouver, she’ll have to pay out-of-pocket for at least another week to stay at a hotel in the resort town. On top of that added expense, Coutts and Thomas are both concerned that their injuries will keep them from being able to go back to work right away.
“Neither of us have the means to be here for longer, or to come home and not be able to work and pay our rent,” said Coutts.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.