A stranger set a man’s pant leg on fire while he sat on a Vancouver park bench

A 57-year-old man was sitting alone on a park bench near Beach Avenue and Davie Street, in the English Bay area of Vancouver, at about 12:43 a.m. Wednesday when an unknown suspect approached without warning, police say. The suspect allegedly poured a liquid accelerant on the man’s pant leg and ignited it with a lighter, then fled. Police said there were no words or threats before the assault. The man stamped out the fire and was not injured. Officers searched the area immediately but did not find the suspect.

The Vancouver Police Department describes the suspect as a man about 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall, with an average build. He was wearing dark clothing with something white around his neck. Police are asking anyone with dash-camera footage of the area to come forward. Constable Darren Wong called it a completely unprovoked, random attack and urged anyone with information or footage to call the non-emergency line at 604-717-3321.

The incident follows another stranger attack in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside earlier this week. A woman allegedly attacked a mother and her baby, grabbing the baby’s hair, then approached a man and punched him in the face. Police said she also stole liquor from a nearby liquor store. Officers located and arrested a suspect, who was taken to jail and then to hospital for a pre-existing condition.