Vancouver Police are asking for information after a 57-year-old man’s pants were set on fire during an unprovoked attack near Beach Avenue and Davie Street early Oct. 7, 2026.
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Vancouver Police Department (VPD) investigators are asking for the public’s help to identify a suspect after an unprovoked assault where a man’s pant leg was ignited.
In the VPD’s news release, a 57-year-old man was sitting alone on a park bench near Beach Avenue and Davie Street at about 12:43 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026.
The release says an unknown suspect approached him, then “without warning or provocation” threw a liquid accelerant onto the victim’s pant leg and ignited it with a lighter before fleeing the scene.
The victim was able to stamp out the fire and, according to police, was not injured.
Police searched the area shortly after the incident but did not locate the suspect.
The suspect is described as approximately 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10 with an average build, wearing dark clothing and having white around their neck.
Constable Darren Wong said, “This was a completely unprovoked, random attack, and we urgently need anyone with information or dash-cam footage to call the non-emergency line immediately at 604-717-3321.”
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