Witnesses sought after woman punched in face at bus stop and man attacked outside home

Vancouver police are looking for witnesses as officers investigate two separate assaults that took place in the city last month.

The first attack happened at a bus stop near Granville and West Pender streets on April 12, according to a statement. Police said a suspect approached an Asian woman at the stop, punched her in the face and then left on a No. 4 bus bound for the University of British Columbia.

The statement said the attack appeared unprovoked.

"We are investigating this as a stranger assault and the motive is unknown," said Sgt. Aaron Roed. 

The officer said the department's hate crime team has been notified of the attack.

"We don't want to speculate on a motive for this attack. [But] for what is going on around the world right now, we're not ruling anything out."

Roed said the woman, 22, has been connected with victim services as she recovers.

"Physically, she's a lot better. Emotionally, she's going to have to live with this assault ... she's going to have to recover," the officer said.

"This is a disgusting act toward an innocent person."

Police said the suspect is described as a white man in his mid-20s with a medium build. The statement said he was wearing a dark T-shirt with a deer emblem on the front, a grey, long-sleeve shirt underneath the T-shirt and a beanie-style hat with grey and yellow stripes.

In a second attack on April 22, a 51-year-old man was attacked outside his home near Franklin and Slocan streets in East Vancouver, police said.

Sgt. Roed said police are not publicly releasing details around weapons used in the assault.

"[The victim] did sustain some serious injuries at the time and has had to go through a recovery period since the assault," he said.

Officers believe two witnesses riding bicycles stopped to confront several suspects.

"Police would like to speak to these two cyclists," the statement read.

Roed said the assault was not a hate crime.

Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call the Vancouver Police Department's Major Crime Section at 604-717-2541 or Crime Stoppers if they want to remain anonymous.