Date: Friday, January 12, 2024
File: 24-429
Victoria, B.C. – VicPD Patrol officers arrested a man with several prior assault convictions, after he was reported spitting on and striking an employee with a shopping cart at a downtown food retailer last week.
On January 4, just before noon, VicPD received report of an assault in progress at a food retailer in the 700-block of Yates Street. The suspect attempted to punch the victim while making racists comments, then proceeded to spit on her and push a shopping cart into her stomach.
Responding officers promptly located and arrested the suspect on scene. The victim was transported to hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
The suspect is well known to VicPD with hundreds of prior contacts, including several incidents resulting in assault-related convictions.
“The repeat nature of this offender is concerning and attacks like this can impact our collective sense of security,” says VicPD Chief Del Manak. “VicPD is pursuing all the tools in our toolbox to mitigate the risk chronic offenders like this impose, while fully acknowledging the limits that exist within the criminal justice system today.”
The suspect currently remains in custody pending a future court date. As the matter is now before the courts, further details cannot be shared at this time.
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