A 61-year-old woman from North Vancouver could face criminal charges after she began assaulting people at random along the Seawall, police said.
West Vancouver police said they were called on Friday, May 21, at 9 a.m. by a mother who told them she was walking in the 1900-block of Bellevue Avenue with her one-year-old child when she was approached by a woman who tried to touch her child without permission.
The mother told police she intervened and that’s when the woman attempted to grab the mother, while “murmuring incoherently.”
The mother said she was able to grab her child, run and then call 911.
Officers rushed to the scene but did not find the woman, however, just minutes later, they received more 911 calls with reports that a woman was harassing people on the Seawall near 21st Street.
Witnesses told police that the woman had grabbed a 13-year-old boy and had been aggressively accosting an elderly woman.
That same woman was then seen attacking a gardener in nearby Navy Jack Gardens and that’s when police said a bystander intervened and held the woman down until officers arrived.
“This was a frightening incident for many people,” Const. Kevin Goodmurphy with West Vancouver police said in a release. “While we don’t expect others to intervene at times like this, we are thankful for those who stepped in to prevent further assaults.”
The woman was taken into custody and police said it was quickly determined that mental illness had been a contributing factor to what happened. She was apprehended under the Mental Health Act and was taken to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.
“Mental illness clearly played a significant role in this, and our officers were able to intervene to help this woman get access to the appropriate resources,” Goodmurphy added. “The incident is still under investigation, and criminal charges may be recommended.”
Any witnesses who have not yet spoken to the police are asked to contact them.