A woman is recovering from injuries after she was attacked with a pipe by a man in downtown Nanaimo on Saturday.
RCMP say the 28-year-old suffered significant but non-life threatening injuries during the assault that appears to be an attempted purse snatching in front of the Dorchester Hotel on Chapel Street.
“That’s insane,” said Adena McLeod, who owns Fig Love Clothing, next door to the Dorchester Hotel.
“Just so completely shocked that somebody actually got attacked,” said McLeod.
Several pedestrians reported to police that a woman had been attacked around 7:30 p.m. by a man wielding a pipe.
She told officers that she had just walked out of the hotel when she was assaulted.
“We are investigating what we are calling an unprovoked, quite vicious attack,” said Cst. Gary O’Brien of Nanaimo RCMP.
“That happened Saturday night, 7:30 pm outside the Dorchester Hotel,” he said.
The male suspect took off northbound along Front Street.
He is described as white, heavy set, with a beard, and was wearing dark clothing.
Witnesses report seeing him jump into a waiting white GMC pickup, parked across from 38 Front Street.
The vehicle then drove northbound on Front Street.
RCMP say investigators are canvassing the area for video surveillance and are asking motorists who have dash cam video from 7 pm to 7:45 pm on Saturday October 12th, along Front St, Commercial Ave or Terminal Ave, to please call the Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345.
CHEK News
