Justice has been served for a woman who was attacked with bear spray during a robbery last week.
The alleged incident happened around 5:30 p.m. on Monday, May 9, when a man approached a woman sitting on a bench near Sixth Street and Sixth Avenue. The man demanded the woman’s bags, and when she refused, he sprayed her with what police believe was bear spray, grabbed her bags and started running, according to a media release from New Westminster police.
A nearby witness chased the suspect, but he managed to get away after dropping the stolen bags.
By the time officers arrived, the suspect was gone. The victim was not seriously injured but was treated for exposure to the spray, police noted.
Investigators with the department’s street crime unit identified the suspect, and he was arrested the following day. Twenty-five-year-old Courtland Aaron Moffett, of no fixed address, faces one count of robbery. He will remain in custody until his next court appearance on Wednesday, May 25.
“We believe this was a random crime of opportunity against an innocent member of the public,” said acting Sgt. Jeff Scott, spokesperson for the department. “We are pleased that we were able to identify and arrest this person as quickly as we did and we are grateful to the witnesses who came forward to assist us in the investigation.”
