Woman knocked unconscious in random robbery

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This article was published 08/08/2023 (1026 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A 32-year-old woman was knocked unconscious Sunday night with a piece of road debris, in what police believe was a random robbery.

Patrol officers, who were called about an assault, found the woman on the sidewalk on the 3200 block of Portage Avenue (between Banting Drive and Kirkfield Street), at about 10:10 p.m., the Winnipeg Police Service said Tuesday.

She was unconscious, with an injury to her upper body, and transported to hospital in stable condition, police said.

A 27-year-old female suspect was arrested soon after, at a Winnipeg Transit stop.

“As concerning as it is for the public to hear of these incidents, it’s as concerning to us to investigate,” WPS spokesman Const. Claude Chancy said.

Officers believe the suspect, who did not know the victim, walked up to her at random and knocked her to the ground with the piece of debris, before taking her property.

Police said the suspect ran and boarded a city bus before officers arrived.

The Transit driver pulled over at Portage Avenue and Rouge Road, where the suspect was allegedly damaging a bus shack just before police arrested her.

The head of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505, which represents city bus drivers, said he had not been informed of the driver’s role in the arrest, but called the incident concerning.

“I’m not surprised,” said union president Chris Scott. “Transit is often called the eyes and ears of the city… My members often go above and beyond in assisting the public with things.”

Scott said the union will reach out to the driver to ensure they are all right.

Twanette Ann Scott, 27, is charged with robbery and mischief over $5,000.

She was slated to appear in court Tuesday, where other pending charges were also scheduled to be heard.

Court records show Scott is accused of committing three other robberies with a weapon, two thefts under $5,000, and one count each of possessing a weapon, failing to appear in court and mischief under $5,000 since early May. None of the charges have been proven in court.

Chancy said he could not reveal further information about the earlier cases.

Scott has a criminal record dating back nearly a decade, largely consisting of administrative breaches, court records show.

In 2018, Scott was sentenced to 25 days in jail for failing to report to her probation officer.

Court heard at the time her offending was tied to unspecified addictions issues, with her probation officer suggesting she look into getting treatment.

She lived a transient lifestyle, court was told, often travelling between Bloodvein First Nation, Little Grand Rapids and Winnipeg.

Meantime, Chancy said it would be difficult to quantify whether random assaults have increased this year, but police are releasing information publicly about such unprovoked violence more frequently.

On Aug. 4, a 29-year-old man suffered multiple stab wounds in what was described at the time as a random and unprovoked attack.

Investigators believe the victim had been approached by a suspect asking for a cigarette at about 1 a.m. near Beverley Street and Wellington Avenue.

A 24-year-old was arrested and charged with aggravated assault.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca