Suspect in bus attack on Vancouver woman found dead from apparent overdose
After appealing to the public for assistance, Metro Vancouver Transit Police announced on Wednesday that they have identified a suspect in connection with a recent attack on a woman who was riding the bus in Vancouver.
Police say the incident took place at approximately 4:25 pm on April 15, when a man boarded a bus at Main Street and East Hastings in Vancouver, and two Asian women wearing protective masks entered the bus shortly after and sat down.
According to police, the man directed his attention toward the women, telling them, “Go back to your own country; that’s where it all started.”
Police said a Good Samaritan sitting across from the man tried to intervene and told him to leave the Asian women alone. This led to a brief argument between the suspect and the woman, and he allegedly threatened her.
The suspect then got up and reportedly kicked the woman in the leg. When she tried to stand up and defend herself, the suspect is said to have pulled her hair so hard that a clump of hair was ripped from her scalp.
The suspect allegedly punched her multiple times and wrestled her to the ground. While she was pinned to the floor, she was able to fight the suspect off.
The suspect left the bus and police say he was last seen near Commercial Drive and East Hastings.
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Now, “the suspect in this incident has been identified, thanks to tips from the public, as a 48-year-old Vancouver resident, of no fixed address, who was well known to police,” investigators said on Wednesday.
They added that the investigation “determined that the suspect passed away from an apparent drug overdose approximately one week after this incident.”