Allison Jones has come forward as the victim who got spat on by a random man in downtown Victoria earlier this week.
Jones was pushing her son in his stroller along with her dog at the corner of Yates Street and Quadra Street on Tuesday afternoon when suspect Edward O’Donnell spat on her face.
“He was maybe like a foot and a half or two feet away from me and he very aggressively leaned back and spat in my face,” Jones told CHEK News on Friday.
Jones said that she then dramatically gasped, leaned back and clutched her face. Then she looked around to see if there was anyone in the vicinity and noticed a police officer was nearby.
According to Victoria Police, an officer doing routine patrols in the downtown core witnessed a man spit on Jones’s face and then walk away. O’Donnell, was arrested at the scene and is now facing an assault charge.
“I’m so grateful that a member was just on patrol, sitting in traffic, and watched the whole thing,” she said.
The impacts of the incident are still being felt by Jones. After she was spat on, she went to Royal Jubilee Hospital for medical testing to rule out any possibility of contracting a virus or disease from the suspect.
Although the first results came back clear, and though she’s been told the likelihood she contracted anything is low, Jones will still have to return for more testing three and six months from now.
Despite the dramatic moment, Jones says she still feels safe around her neighborhood, but has some advice for those who regularly walk downtown.
“Make sure you are aware of your surroundings, keep to your side of the sidewalk and protect yourself as much as possible,” she said.
O’Donnell’s next court date is scheduled for Jan. 22.
FROM NOVEMBER: Hot beverages thrown at two women in random downtown Victoria assaults
Tchadas Leo
