VANCOUVER -- Police in Burnaby are searching for a suspect nearly two months after an elderly woman was assaulted in the Metro Vancouver city.
The RCMP released video of the April 3 incident Thursday, showing a woman walking away from the camera installed on Central Boulevard.
The suspect veers left, toward an elderly woman using a walker. She is seen walking behind the senior, and lifting her leg.
The elderly woman then spins to one side and falls to the ground.
The suspect walks quickly away, heading the opposite direction, as the senior lies on the ground.
A man who'd been standing nearby walks past her, but either doesn't notice the victim or makes no effort to help as she gets up, touching her head.
Police say the victim, who is 84, was shaken by the assault near Metrotown SkyTrain Station, but was not seriously injured.
Police released the video, saying they know her face isn't clear in the footage, but they're hopeful someone will recognize something that will aid in their investigation.
The suspect was wearing a face mask at the time, as well as black tights, a long puffy jacket and light-coloured shoes. She was carrying a beige purse, and appears to have dark brown hair.
The victim of the assault is Asian, but police say so far it there is nothing to suggest the attack was racially motivated.
"However based off what we are currently observing taking place in neighbouring municipalities it is an active investigative avenue," the RCMP said in a statement.
Authorities noted it's possible the suspect they're searching for is Asian as well.
The RCMP does not collect data on race and ethnicity for its crime statistics, but said the Burnaby detachment has noticed "some concerning incidents" in the city recently that involve members of the Asian community.
Anyone who recognizes the woman in the video is asked to contact the RCMP, or to call Crime Stoppers anonymously.
Police did not say why they waited several weeks before releasing the video.
Earlier this spring, officers in Vancouver faced criticism for delaying going public in hate crime investigations in that city.
Some members of Vancouver's Chinese community wondered whether suspects would have been located earlier in the investigation had police released their photos immediately, rather than waiting several weeks.
