Burnaby RCMP are looking for a man who was caught on surveillance video apparently sucker-punching and then repeatedly kicking and punching a woman in a Metrotown elevator Saturday.
The video, which was posted online but then taken down, shows a man and a woman standing inside an elevator talking, before the man suddenly starts punching and kicking the woman.
After the woman drops to the ground, the man continues to kick and punch her before grabbing something – possibly the victim’s cellphone – and running off.
The attack happened shortly before 2 a.m. in a condo tower in the area of Nelson Avenue and Imperial Street, according to police.
At first, the woman told police an unknown man had entered the elevator with her, assaulted her and fled with her cellphone, according to Burnaby RCMP, but investigators have since determined the man and woman were together before entering the elevator and had spent time at a suite in the building.
“The nature of this contact and what occurred prior to the male and female entering the elevator is still under investigation but may have been a factor in the assault that is alleged to have taken place,” stated an emailed Burnaby RCMP statement.
The victim was taken to hospital with minor injuries and has since been released, according to police.
The suspect is described as a five-foot-10 Asian man with a slim build and black hair, wearing a black jacket, black pants and red-and-black shoes.
He was last seen heading north on Nelson Street.
Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call Burnaby RCMP at 604-646-9999. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online.
- Cornelia Naylor, Burnaby Now