Ontario man charged after B.C. teen with autism injured in unprovoked 2020 attack: RCMP

An Ontario man accused of attacking a teen with autism in Richmond, B.C., last year has been charged with assault causing bodily harm.

The boy had been playing basketball with a group of people at a school in the 7100 block of Minoru Boulevard on Aug. 21, 2020, when he was allegedly attacked without provocation.

1:43 Charges laid in 2020 Richmond assault of teen with autism playing basketball

READ MORE: Teen with autism left with cuts, concussion after unprovoked attack, B.C. police say

According to one witness, the suspect was told that the teen had a developmental disability. The suspect still proceeded to punch the boy, Richmond RCMP said at the time.

The incident left the teen with a facial laceration and a concussion, according to police.

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Two witnesses reported the attack to police, who were able to track the victim down at a local hospital, Mounties said Thursday.

“This is an excellent example of the key role the public plays in investigations,” Cpl. Adriana O’Malley said.

“We want to commend all of the witnesses that came forward and aided in our investigation. The evidence they provided was instrumental in identifying the alleged suspect.”

2:06 Richmond RCMP looking for witnesses to an unprovoked attack on teen with autism

Following an investigation, police were able to identify a 21-year-old suspect from Ontario.

Dominic Rallon Jao has since been charged with one count of assault causing bodily harm.