An elderly wheelchair-bound man was assaulted and robbed last Thursday in Port Alberni, according to RCMP.
Police received reports of the attack occurring just before 5 p.m. in the area of 4th Avenue and Mar Street. Several witnesses told police that a woman was assaulting an elderly man in a wheelchair in an attempt to steal his wallet.
According to Port Alberni RCMP, the 85-year-old man was able to fight off the woman who then fled the area on foot with some of the man's belongings.
The man then called for help, which drew the attention of bystanders who contacted police.
Once RCMP officers arrived at the scene, they quickly located and arrested the suspect a short distance away. The man's belongings were also found in a nearby parking lot.
Port Alberni resident Tashina Aday, 29, faces a number of charges, including robbery, assault and breach of probation.
She is being held in police custody until her next scheduled court appearance on Oct. 9.
"This unnerving incident is rare in Port Alberni, and I want to thank the public for their actions in identifying and calling the police," said RCMP Corp. Aaron Aasen in a news release.
"We could not have caught this suspect without their quick response."
This assault marks the third reported attack on a senior in the mid-island this summer.
In August and late July, two elderly Courtenay residents were the victims of serious attcks including one 89-year-old man who suffered serious injuries in an apparent machete attack.
