'Traumatized and bruised': 71-year-old Nanaimo woman assaulted and robbed: RCMP

A welcome sign in Nanaimo, B.C., is pictured. (CTV News)

Nanaimo RCMP are investigating after a woman was assaulted and robbed while walking downtown in March.

Police say the assault occurred on March 22, but was reported by the 71-year-old victim at a later date.

Mounties say the victim had been at the local casino and was walking home around 5:30 p.m. when she was surrounded by three or four men in the 100-block of Commercial Street.

One man pinned one of the woman's arms behind her back and pushed her to the ground, causing her to land on the sidewalk on the left side of her face, according to RCMP.

The push left her with facial bruises and caused her glasses to fall off, police say. While she was on the ground, she could feel someone reach into her coat pocket and take out an envelope of cash that she was carrying.

The victim told police that she had recently withdrawn the cash from a nearby TD bank and at the casino, and believes that could be the reason why she was targeted.

Each of the men were wearing face masks or had their shirts pulled up to cover their faces, police say. The victim says the men were all wearing dark clothing and hoodies at the time.

"The victim was embarrassed and left traumatized and bruised by her ordeal," said Const. Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP in a statement Friday.

"She also realizes that she will most likely not be able to recoup her losses but she would like to hold this group of men accountable for their actions," he said.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345, and quote file # 2022-9835.