Transit Police believe they have identified two suspects in a violent assault on a 61-year-old woman on a bus in Surrey on March 20.
Anne Drennan, spokeswoman for the Transit Police, said investigators have received about 80 tips from the public. No one has been arrested yet.
”We’re very grateful to the public and the media for helping us with this. As a result of the tips, we have identified the suspects, we believe we have, and the investigation is very active.”
Drennan said the assault happened at about 6:30 p.m., after the passengers boarded the 96B bus at Surrey Central SkyTrain Station. An argument broke out between two women about a bus seat after one sat beside another who said she was saving the seat for her husband. She allegedly used her hip and shoulder to force the other off the seat and onto the floor, Drennan said.
“The husband sat down in the seat as the victim got up and sat beside the couple. The victim attempted to take a picture of the pair with her cellphone, drawing their attention.”
Drennan said the female suspect allegedly grabbed the cellphone from the victim’s hands. “A struggle ensued and she threw the phone on the floor. She then allegedly grabbed the victim by the hair and pulled her entire body over the back of the seat, striking her head and chest on the metal handrail repeatedly while threatening to kill her.”
Drennan said the husband separated the women “and allegedly grabbed the victim’s phone from another passenger who had picked it up off the floor.”
The two suspects, a man and woman, got off the 96B bus at King George Boulevard and 88th Avenue.
“The victim tried to follow them to retrieve her phone but the man threw the phone on the ground,” Drennan said. The couple then walked into the Bear Creek Business Plaza, and police were called.
The woman is described as South Asian, 30 to 35 years old, five feet six inches tall and medium built with long black hair in a “messy” ponytail. Police say she has bad teeth and was wearing a purple or maroon jacket with a fur-trimmed hood, patterned leggings, purple socks and black shoes.
The man is about the same age, five foot 10, with short dark hair, a beard and moustache, and was wearing an olive green hoodie with a light circle-shaped logo on the chest and a bright coloured hood lining, black shorts and black shoes. He was carrying a red “good Life Fitness” duffle bag.
Police ask anyone with information to call their tip line at 604-516-7419 (refer to file #18-5346) 0r text them at 87 77 77.
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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