A Nanaimo man was taken to hospital after being beaten by a group of teenagers in Harewood yesterday in the early morning.
The victim was treated at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital for concussion-like symptoms, bruises and abrasions after he was “swarmed and attacked” just after 7 a.m. Monday, Sept. 27, in the 500 block of Fourth Street, according to an RCMP press release.
Police attended the hospital and observed that the 39-year-old victim’s left eye was bruised and swollen shut. He also had a number of scrapes across his face and neck.
The victim told investigators he was walking from the nearby 7-Eleven and was carrying a Slurpee when he first saw the group, which consisted of four to six youths who appeared to be laughing and joking amongst themselves. The victim said no words or looks were exchanged as he walked by the teens at Fourth Street.
“Suddenly, he was punched in the back of the head. He received several more blows to his head before falling to the ground. While on the ground, he was kicked repeatedly, then punched one last time in the face,” noted the release. “He believes he may have momentarily lost consciousness.”
The victim said when he last saw the youths, they were running westbound along Fourth Street. He was able to provide only a partial description of two of the assailants, both boys about 16 or 17 years old. One had dark skin and short, curly hair, and was wearing a black shirt and shorts, while another had dark skin and long blond hair and was wearing a grey shirt.
“This is extremely disturbing,” said Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, in the release. “They were attracting a lot of attention to themselves prior to the assault, so we’re hoping people who were going to work around that time would have seen the group.”
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345 and quote file No. 2021-36463.
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