Toronto woman describes her fight for survival from stranger attack along Coal Harbour seawall

Yahoo

24-04-2025

Content warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of violence and injury. Those who have been a victim of violent crime can contact VictimLinkBC by phone or text at 1-800-563-0808 or by email at [e-mail] for immediate crisis support and resources. VictimLinkBC is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
A Toronto woman says a recent visit to Vancouver turned into a terrifying fight for survival when she was the target of a violent stranger attack along the Coal Harbour seawall, during which she tried to fend him off by swinging a bag of White Claw seltzer cans as he slammed her to the ground and beat her repeatedly.
'It felt like he was a predator and I was prey. He locked in on me,' the woman said in a TikTok video posted Tuesday.
Vancouver police confirmed Wednesday that an incident occurred at 12:30 a.m. on April 15 in Coal Harbour and that Peterhans Jalo Nungu was arrested at the scene and later charged with assault causing bodily harm. He was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday and remains in custody.
Court records show Nungu, who was born in 1991, also faces separate charges of assaulting a peace officer and uttering threats in connection with an incident on April 13 in Surrey. He is expected to appear in court on those charges on May 5.
Vancouver police praised the woman, who Postmedia has chosen not to identify, for her courage.
'She fought through and survived a vicious attack committed by a total stranger, and the fact she is telling her story speaks to her courage and resiliency,' Sgt. Steve Addison said in a statement.
Asked why VPD did not inform the public about the attack after it happened, Addison said it was because a suspect was immediately arrested and held in custody, posing no public risk. With significant evidence already gathered, including the victim's account and eyewitness statements, he said there was no need to publicize details.
'The decision to tell her story was one that she made without our involvement. The level of detail she has provided is beyond what police would typically be permitted to release in a case that is before the courts, however we welcome the opportunity to provide more information now that she's chosen to come forward.'
The woman said the attack left her with a broken nose, two black eyes and multiple other injuries.
'I was in what most people would consider a fairly safe, touristy area that's typically well-trafficked,' she explained in a video on social media. She also posted images of a bloodied pair of AirPods, her bloodstained purse and a shattered phone.
In the video, the woman explained that she was walking back to her hotel after dinner when a man on a grassy hill made a comment to her and suddenly charged.
The man allegedly grabbed the back of her jacket without warning and slammed her to the ground. Despite being five-foot-two and about 135 pounds, the woman said she fought back with everything she had.
Using the bag of canned drinks she had just bought, she said she struck the man repeatedly, momentarily pushing him off.
'I was swinging them on him, just wailing on him,' she said.
But the attack didn't stop there. After the woman ran away and called 911, she said the man returned, grabbed her phone, and smashed it on the ground.
'He got me down on my back. … I was kicking his chest, his face, screaming, screaming. He was yelling at me, 'shut up,'' she said. At one point, he ripped off her shoe before she was finally able to break free again.
He came after her a third time, she said, this time targeting her head with blows. She said she momentarily lost consciousness. After fighting back once more and managing to escape with one shoe on and covered in blood, the woman said she ran toward a more public area along the wharf near the Westin Bayshore Hotel.
'Thankfully, I encountered a group of people,' she said, who turned out to be plainclothes police officers.
'Because he was still chasing me, they were able to apprehend him.'
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Update: Man arrested after unprovoked assault in downtown Vancouver
Female tourist brutally beaten near Vancouver cruise ship terminal