Quick arrest after 89-year-old assaulted in Chinatown

A Vancouver Police arrest has led to charges against a woman who allegedly assaulted a senior who was walking in Chinatown on Saturday morning.

The 89-year-old victim was walking alone near Main and Keefer streets around 10:45 a.m. on Saturday when a woman he didn’t know approached and knocked him to the ground. The man, who lives nearby, suffered cuts and scrapes.

Vancouver Police say they have increased patrols in Chinatown in response to community concerns about rising violence, hate incidents, graffiti, and street disorder spilling over from the Downtown Eastside.

Officers were patrolling the area at the time of the attack, and quickly responded to help the injured senior and arrest the suspect. Investigators believe the assault was unprovoked.

Patricia MacDonald, 58, is been charged with assault and was released from custody by the courts.