Saanich police have arrested a man accused of smashing a mother in the head with a potted plant inside her own home.

The 40-year-old woman was home with her infant in the 2800-block of Adelaide Avenue around 9 a.m. Monday when a FedEx employee arrived at her door with a package.

The woman was on her phone with her husband as the driver waited to receive payment for the delivery – and that’s when a stranger forced his way past the driver and through the front door of the home, police said.

“She simply went back inside to confirm with her husband, to make sure payment was necessary for this package, then came around the corner and this person was inside her home,” said Saanich Police spokesman Sgt. Jereme Leslie.

Once inside, the man tried to grab the package and run through the house.

When the woman followed him, he grabbed a potted plant and struck her in the head several times.

The woman was able to call 9-1-1 to report she had been attacked as the man fled. She was then taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The delivery driver pursued the attacker and also called 9-1-1, and officers responded quickly to arrest the man on scene.

Leslie said the FedEx employee did all the right things.

“The FedEx driver was spot-on, very good witness, didn’t get involved too much and called 9-1-1, which is the right thing to do,” he said.

Police said the 33-year-old Victoria man is known to them, and will remain in custody on recommended charges of assault with a weapon and being unlawfully in a dwelling house.

Leslie said investigators have not determined a motive for the attack.

“I don’t know if it was a crime of opportunity or if it was planned. It’s still very early on in the investigation,” he said.

Leslie said while the situation was “very frightening” for the woman, it’s highly unusual and there’s no reason for neighbours to worry for their safety.

“Shocking,” said resident Paul Moquin after learning the news. “It’s a pretty tight-knit community here, and it’s definitely a shock.”

Police are canvassing the neighbourhood for additional witnesses or anyone who has seen the man in the area.

A neighbour who wished to remain unidentified shared video with CTV News of a man in a blue sweater walking down Adelaide Street, followed by a FedEx delivery van a few moments later, around the time the attack occurred.

Police say the man seen in the video is wearing clothing that matches the description of the woman's attacker, but could not confirm whether it was the same man. It's unclear whether the video was taken before or after the attack.

The man is expected to make his first court appearance Tuesday morning.