Nanaimo RCMP is investigating after a woman was assaulted in the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital parking lot by an 18-year old female attempting to steal the victim’s car.
At approximately 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the victim – a woman in her 60s – had just sat down in the driver’s seat of her vehicle when she was attacked.
The suspect, an 18-year-old female, was armed with a 2-foot wooden stick and she repeatedly hit the victim with it while yelling at the owner to get out of the car, according to police.
The woman refused to get out of her car, so the 18-year-old eventually grabbed the victim and dragged her out of the car and tried to start the vehicle.
She couldn’t get the car started because she didn’t have the car FOB.
By then, hospital staff and security arrived and the suspect was taken into custody and turned over to police.
The victim was treated at the hospital for serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators later learned the 18-year-old suspect had been brought to the hospital earlier by a family member who was concerned about her erratic behaviour.
Before the suspect could be admitted to the facility, she ran off. It was during that time she allegedly assaulted the victim.
Investigators arrested the suspect for Assault Causing Bodily Harm and she was then admitted to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, note RCMP.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
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Rebecca Lawrence
