Man tries to set homeless woman’s blankets ablaze in Vancouver

VANCOUVER – A homeless woman is unhurt but police want to catch the man who tried to set her blankets on fire as she slept on a Vancouver street.

A statement from the Vancouver Police Department on Tuesday says the apparent arson happened at around 4 a.m. on Dec. 13.

Sgt. Steve Addison says the woman, who's in her 30s, was wrapped in a jacket and blankets and the man paced around her as she lay on the ground, then set her belongings on fire and walked away.

Addison says video the department just acquired shows the fire smouldering before flames emerge, but the woman woke up in time to avoid serious harm.

The statement says the suspect was wearing a unique black and white Oakland Raiders jacket and appears white, 35 to 50 years old and between five-foot-five and five-foot-10.

Addison says investigators would like to speak with the victim or anyone with information about the attack.

“This was a shocking attack that targeted a vulnerable member of our community, and we hope the public can help solve this crime,” he says, adding the video shows the severity of the attack.

"A few more seconds and this could have been tragic.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2021.