Man, woman arrested in Skytrain attack on woman who asked passengers if they had masks: transit police

UPDATE — Nov 2, 2021: Metro Vancouver Transit Police are recommending charges of assault, and assault causing bodily harm against a Burnaby man, 25, and woman, 19. Both are known to police and are expected to appear in Vancouver provincial court on Dec. 13, 2021.

 Earlier story below:

A woman was attacked on a SkyTrain on Monday after asking other passengers whether they had masks to wear, according to police.

A statement said the woman was taking the train through Burnaby around 7:20 p.m. PT, Sept. 20, when she saw a man and a woman sitting near her without masks, which are currently mandatory on public transit.

"The woman asked them if they had masks to wear, to which they replied with, 'What's it to you?'" read the statement.

Police said the female suspect then hit the woman so hard it knocked her from her seat to the floor. They said both suspects hit the woman again while she was on the ground before leaving the train at Metrotown station in Burnaby.

"Thankfully, the victim did not sustain serious injuries," the statement said.

The female suspect is described as five feet, five inches tall, in her early 20s, with a medium build. Police said she had long, dyed red hair and wore a black coat with writing down the sleeves, as well as red track pants.

The man is described as five feet, 10 inches tall with a medium build and short brown hair. The statement said he was in his 20s or 30s and wore a dark jacket and jeans.

"The circumstances surrounding this incident are troubling. Violence in any form will never be tolerated, especially when it's unprovoked and results from a reasonable expectation that masks be worn on transit during a pandemic," Const. Mike Yake wrote in the statement.

Passengers who don't wear a mask on transit can be fined up to $115.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police.