Police search for man accused of choking, robbing two people on transit in Vancouver
Posted September 12, 2019 10:20 pm.
Last Updated September 13, 2019 8:46 am.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Police are looking for a man who allegedly choked two people to unconsciousness before robbing them on transit last month.
Transit Police are circulating an image of the suspect because they are concerned about the high level of violence involved in these robberies.
Both alleged attacks happened in Vancouver around midnight – the first on Aug. 18, and the second on Aug. 20.
The first victim is a 45-year-old man who was on a bus headed toward the Marine Drive Canada Line station. The alleged robber followed him off of the bus.
“The man asked for a cigarette, and the victim refused,” Sgt. Clint Hampton with Metro Vancouver Transit Police says. “The man then walked away, only to return, tackling the victim and placing him in a headlock. The suspect held the victim in a headlock until the victim passed out.”
It didn’t end there. Police say when the 45-year-old woke up, the suspect apparently demanded the victim buy them a drink from the Marine Drive Canada Line Station.
“While the victim purchased the drink, the suspect fled with the victim’s phone onto a Canada Line train,” Sgt. Hampton explains.
https://twitter.com/SgtCHampton/status/1172240482547769344
The second victim was a 26-year-old man who was going into the Stadium SkyTrain station at around 11:45 p.m. two days later. Police say the victim was approached by a man who started conversation.
“The victim felt uneasy and unsafe and he attempted to get away. The man grabbed the victim, and placed him in a headlock. He held that victim in a headlock until he lost consciousness. In this case, the suspect stole the victim’s wallet and the victim’s credit cards were later used to make a $400 purchase from a convenience store.”
The suspect is described as Caucasian or Indigenous, in his 30s, and is about 5’8″ to 5’10” tall with a stocky build. In both cases, he was wearing “distinct, white-framed sun glasses with a reflective lens propped on his head.”
“Metro Vancouver Transit Police is extremely concerned by the level of violence this person is willing to use,” Sgt. Hampton adds.
They are asking anyone who recognizes the man or who witnessed wither of these instances to call their tip line at 604-516-7419 or to text using code 87-77-77 and refer to file 2019-15236.
