The Vancouver Police Department is currently investigating a disturbing incident that occurred in the early hours of Wednesday. A 57-year-old man was targeted in an unprovoked attack near Beach Avenue and Davie Street, where an unknown individual set his pant leg on fire.
According to the VPD, the victim was seated on a bench when the suspect approached him and without warning, doused his pant leg with a flammable liquid and ignited it using a lighter. The attacker then fled the scene, leaving the victim shocked and fortunately uninjured as he managed to extinguish the flames on his own.
Const. Darren Wong emphasized that the assault was entirely random and without any prior interaction or threats exchanged between the victim and the suspect. Despite efforts to locate the perpetrator, described as around 5’8″ with an average build and wearing dark clothing with white detailing around his neck, the police have not yet been able to apprehend him.
Authorities are urging anyone with potential leads or dash cam footage from the area to contact the VPD non-emergency line promptly at 604-717-3321 to aid in their investigation.
