The father of a Richmond, B.C., teen and a woman who helped protect her are speaking out after an attempted swarming earlier this month.
The incident is alleged to have happened around 9 p.m. on Aug. 18, when the father said a group of “so-called friends” lured his 14-year-old daughter to Garden City Park with the intent of attacking her over “social media nonsense.”
Tim, whose name Global News is not using to protect his daughter, said she called him in the midst of the terrifying ordeal.
“She’s crying, she’s in tears, she’s frustrated because she doesn’t know what’s going on,” he said.
“They had her on the inside of the dog park as they taunted and bullying with slurs or racial and unbelievable wording, from what I’m told, directed at her — and someone said ‘Go’ and they went after her.”
Another mother, who Global News is also not identifying because she is afraid she or her own daughter could face retaliation, said she happened to be in the park that night when she heard screams.
“We heard this horrible, God awful screaming and yelling coming from the far side of the parking lot, and as I look over I see this young girl running for her life,” she said.
“You can see there’s about 10 to 15 other boys and girls behind her, they’re chasing her and calling her just the most horrific names, and you see the lights on their phones from above.”
She told Global News she then helped the girl get into the fenced dog park enclosure, and, along with her daughter, another mom and her two girls, formed a “wall” around the victim while she called 911.
But even with the 911 operator on the phone, she said the swarm kept coming with at least five of them entering the fenced enclosure.
“They were like reaching over us, trying to grab her hair, punch her, screaming, yelling,” she said.
The group finally scattered when they heard the 911 operator say a police cruiser was nearby, she said — but not before one of the girls allegedly spat in her face and someone shot her dog with a pellet gun, she said.
She said when she saw the girl being chased it immediately made her think of another recent high-profile swarming attack in Cloverdale.
As the mother of a 13-year-old girl herself, she said she felt compelled to act.
“When they came running across the parking lot screaming, I just envisioned that girl and the things those kids did to her out in the valley, and I just knew that you have to get in there,” she said, becoming emotional.
The victim’s father said five people were arrested, but all have since been released.
“Are we doing youth justice or an injustice?” he asked. “Because all it is a revolving door to say, ‘Hey, go do your crime again.
“I’m left wondering what needs to take place in order for this kind of thing to stop and for us as parents to feel safe.”
Global News has been seeking information from the Richmond RCMP on the file for two days.
Late Tuesday, a spokesperson said police were still investigating and would have more information on Wednesday.
“We want to thank the members of the public who came to the aid of the victim by putting themselves between the victim and the group of youth suspects,” Cpl. Adriana O’Malley said in an email.
“We are asking anyone who may have been in the area and witnessed this incident to contact Richmond RCMP.”
As for the actions of the bystander, the victim’s father had nothing but praise.
“Awesome. Her instincts, her situational awareness of what was taking place there … was amazing,” he said.
“If she hadn’t have been there I would probably say my daughter wouldn’t be here.”
With files from Rumina Daya