Nanaimo, B.C. man injured by group of teens in early morning attack

Police are searching for two suspects after a group of teenagers swarmed a Nanaimo, B.C., man, leaving him injured and hospitalized on Monday morning.

The 39-year-old victim suffered bruises, scrapes and abrasions to his eye, face and neck, and is also being treated for concussion-like symptoms, says a Tuesday release from Nanaimo RCMP.

The man told police he was walking from the 7-11 in the Harewood neighbourhood shortly after 7 a.m., when he saw four to six youths in the area of 560 Fourth Street.

They appeared to be “laughing and joking amongst themselves,” he told the Mounties, but they didn’t look at him or say anything as he passed by.

Suddenly, he was sucker-punched in the back of the head.

“He received several more blows to his head before falling to the ground,” says the release.

“While on the ground, he was kicked repeatedly, then punched one last time in the face.”

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The man said he may have lost consciousness, and the last time he saw the group, they were retreating westbound on Fourth Street.

Only two of them, he added, were involved in the assault and he was able to provide a partial description to RCMP from the hospital.

Police are now searching for two male youths between 16 and 17 years old. One has short, curly hair and dark skin, and was wearing a black T-shirt and shorts. The other, says the release, had long blonde hair, dark skin and a grey T-shirt.

Anyone who may have information on this incident, or has seen the group of teens, is asked to call the RCMP’s non-emergency line at 250-754-2345 and provide the file number 2021-36463.