VicPD searching for woman after downtown assault sends man to hospital with 'significant burns'

A photo of the woman suspected of randomly assaulting a man in Victoria is shown. (Victoria Police)

UPDATE: At 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, Victoria police said they had taken a suspect into custody in this case.

Victoria police are searching for a woman after a man was allegedly assaulted at random in the city's downtown core.

Police say the attack happened just before 8 a.m. Tuesday when a man was walking northbound on Blanshard Street at Fort Street.

The man was "randomly approached by an unknown woman who kicked him to the ground," police said in a media release Tuesday afternoon.

"The victim was carrying hot tea at the time of the incident, and the kick forced the tea to spill on the man, causing significant burns," police said.

The man went to hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

The attacker left the scene immediately after the assault.

Police are now looking for a white woman with a thin build. She was wearing a grey hooded sweater with the hood up, a green sweatshirt, green sweatpants, sneakers with a yellow marking on them and a black backpack.

Police continue to investigate. Anyone with information about the assault is asked to contact Victoria police at 250-995-7654, or report anonymously to Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

The attack was the second random assault reported by Victoria police early Tuesday morning.

Officers were called to a restaurant in the 800-block of Douglas Street around 8 a.m. for reports of a man entering the business through a back door and striking a staff member with a metal bowl.

A 29-year-old Victoria man was arrested after the incident.