5-year-old boy assaulted while walking with family in downtown Victoria: police

Police are asking for witnesses to come forward after a five-year-old boy was assaulted in an apparently random attack in downtown Victoria.

The boy was walking with his mother and two siblings in the 1700-block of Government Street around11:20 a.m. PT on Aug. 16 when a woman struck him in the face, Victoria police said.

They said the woman reportedly appeared dishevelledand was also allegedly yelling in the street.

The boy suffered non-life threatening injuries in the attack. Police were called after the mother and children got to a safe location.

"They did everything right in this situation. They called us. We attended. We searched the area. However, we have not been able to locate that suspect," said Const. Cam MacIntyre.

Police are calling for witnesses to aid the investigation, with MacIntyre saying there were manypeople in the area where the attack happened on Monday morning.

The suspect is described as a 30- to 40-year-old white woman,five feetsix inches tall, with shoulder-length brown-blondhair. She waswearing blue jeansand carried a brown leather bag, police said.

Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to call Victoria police's report desk at 250-995-7654 ext. 1, or to leavean anonymous tip withGreater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.