9.84°C Vancouver

Jan 12, 2021 11:28 PM -

Homeless woman OK after man tries to set her blankets ablaze in Vancouver: police

Share On
homeless-woman-ok-after-man-tries-to-set-her-blankets-ablaze-in-vancouver-police
A person wanted in connection to an arson case is shown in a screengrab from surveillance video taken December 13, 2020 in this handout image. A homeless woman is unhurt but police want to catch the man who tried to set her blankets on fire as she slept near 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. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Vancouver Police Department

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.

Latest news

surrey-driver-loses-lamborghini-after-alleged-197-km-h-speed-on-alex-fraser-bridge
BCFeb 06, 2026

Surrey driver loses Lamborghini after alleged 197 km/h speed on Alex Fraser Bridge

A Surrey man is facing steep fines, a vehicle impound, and long-term insurance penalties after police allege he was travelling at nearly three times the posted speed limit on the Alex Fraser Bridge earlier this week. BC Highway Patrol says officers observed a Lamborghini SUV moving significantly faster than surrounding traffic just after 8:00 p.m. on February 4. Using a laser speed reader, police clocked the vehicle at 197 kilometres per hour in a 70 kilometre per hour zone while it was heading northbound over the Delta span. Police say the 51-year-old driver was issued multiple violation tick
federal-government-tightens-return-to-office-rules-for-public-servants
CanadaFeb 06, 2026

Federal government tightens return-to-office rules for public servants

The federal government under Prime Minister Mark Carney has issued updated return-to-office requirements that will see most public servants spending more time working on-site each week. According to a notice from the Treasury Board, the changes will be introduced in phases. Executives will be required to work from the office five days a week starting May 4, while all other federal employees must report to the workplace at least four days per week beginning July 6. At present, most federal workers are required to be in the office three days a week under a hybrid work policy that came into effec
canada-records-job-losses-in-january-as-labour-market-shows-new-signs-of-strain
CanadaFeb 06, 2026

Canada records job losses in January as labour market shows new signs of strain

Canada’s economy took a step backward in January as the country recorded a net loss of about 25,000 jobs, according to the latest Labour Force Survey released by Statistics Canada. The decline marks the first monthly drop in employment since late summer and signals renewed pressure in key sectors tied to trade and construction. The manufacturing and construction industries experienced the sharpest losses, with economists pointing to ongoing trade uncertainty and U.S. tariff pressures as contributing factors. Private-sector employment and part-time work were particularly affected, while women
AlbertaFeb 06, 2026

TSB sending investigators after CN train derailment west of Edmonton

Federal transportation investigators are heading to central Alberta to examine a Canadian National Railway derailment that sent dozens of rail cars off the tracks west of Edmonton. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada confirmed it is deploying a team after 37 loaded train cars derailed Thursday near the hamlet of Wildwood, roughly 110 kilometres west of the provincial capital. The site is along a CN main line that carries a mix of freight through rural communities in the region. CN spokesperson Ashley Michnowski said preliminary information indicates the cars were loaded, but the company
AlbertaFeb 06, 2026

Airdrie youth hockey team honours junior players killed in Alberta highway crash

A youth hockey team from Airdrie is paying tribute to three junior players who died in a highway collision in southern Alberta by wearing and sharing memorial stickers during an upcoming tournament. The under-13 AA Airdrie Lightning team will place the stickers on their helmets and hand them out to opposing teams while competing in Regina this week. The stickers feature the jersey numbers of the players and the logo of the Southern Alberta Mustangs, the junior team the victims played for. The initiative was organized by a Lightning parent who ordered close to 100 stickers with the goal of keep

Related News