VICTORIA Police say that a 31-year-old man is in custody facing several Criminal Code charges following reports of two separate attacks in downtown Victoria on the evening of June 18.

Both incidents took place between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. that night but were reported to police at different times.

Police received the first call for service just before 11 p.m. on June 18. The complainant reported that he had just been assaulted by an unknown man in the 1100-block of Fort Street. According to the report, the man forced open the complainant’s vehicle door, struck him, and tried to pull him from the vehicle before fleeing. Officers located and arrested a man matching the description a short time later.

Although police didn’t name the victim, he is Ebrahim Ali, Head Imam of BCMA Masjid Al Iman Victoria.

Police say that a second call came in at approximately 1:15 a.m. on June 19. That complainant reported that he had been struck and robbed of cash and other belongings in the 1100-block of Douglas Street at around 10 p.m. on June 18, roughly an hour before the Fort Street incident. He said he recognized his attacker and identified him to police. By the time this report was made, the suspect was already in custody for the first reported offence.

Both complainants reported minor injuries.

The BC Prosecution Service has approved charges against Vincent Edward Abraham. In relation to the Fort Street incident, he is charged with robbery and assault causing bodily harm. In relation to the Douglas Street incident, he is charged with robbery and assault with a weapon. Abraham is next scheduled to appear in court on June 25.

“Violence has no place in our communities,” said Victoria Police Chief Constable Fiona Wilson. “Random attacks like these are deeply unsettling, and they can erode the sense of safety that people should feel in their own city. We are committed to investigating the motive, and we ask the public to withhold judgment as the matter proceeds before the court.”