Nanaimo police are looking for a suspect who punched a 14-year-old girl in the face and made off with her iPhone.
The mugging happened at Beban Park on Sunday at about 4:30 p.m. when the teen was sitting at the tables outside the entrance to the recreation centre’s pool and a man rode up to her on a bicycle.
“She was confronted by an unknown male in his 20s. He punched her in the face and stole her iPhone,” said Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman. “A Good Samaritan interrupted and chased him off.”
Police patrolled the area and called in a Police Dog Services unit, but they were unable to track down the suspect who was last seen riding into the area of the barns and agriplex on the east side of the park complex.
The girl suffered bruising to her face from being struck during the robbery and a cut to her knee, but did not require medical attention.
O’Brien said this kind of robbery and assault is still unusual in Nanaimo.
“We do recognize that stranger incidents do occur from time to time and that’s why it’s paramount that we and the public work together and if anybody has information we need to hear from them,” O’Brien said.
The suspect is described as Caucasian, in his late teens or early 20s, about 5-foot-9 with a medium build and brown hair. He was wearing a light-coloured T-shirt, red shorts and a black hat. He was also carrying a blue pack sack and was riding a small black mountain or BMX-type bike that appeared be too small for him.
The stolen iPhone is black with a purple case.
Anyone with information, please call the Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, text 274637, keyword Nanaimo or submit a tip online at www.nanaimocrimestoppers.com.
