New West mother urges witnesses to come forward after alleged violent assault

Content warning: This story contains details about domestic violence and abuse that some readers may find disturbing. If you are experiencing gender-based violence or intimate-partner violence, VictimLinkBC is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week across B.C. by phone or text at 1-800-563-0808 or email VictimLinkBC@bc211.ca.

A New Westminster woman who says she was violently attacked by her baby’s father in March last year, is asking for witnesses to come forward.

“I feel this day [was] the last day for me. I think I was going to die,” she told CityNews.

Still brought to tears when she recounts the day, the mother, who CityNews has agreed to keep anonymous for her safety, says she was assaulted by her former partner when she was five months pregnant during a long car ride around Burnaby in the spring of 2022.

A New Westminster woman who says she was violently attacked by her baby’s father in March last year, is asking for witnesses to come forward. (CityNews Image)

“He pushed my head down and my neck down because he didn’t want anyone to hear me scream, and he hit my tummy,” she said.

She says she was screaming and trying to escape. The woman is speaking publicly about her experience now because she says she wants witnesses to come forward before the suspect goes to trial.

“I’m not safe here, if I go to my home, I am very scared,” she said.

The New Westminster Police Department (NWPD) confirms to CityNews charges have been laid in connection to the alleged assault. It is also calling on witnesses to come forward.

Sgt. Jeff Scott says the alleged assault happened in the morning on March 24, 2022, in a grey Toyota Highlander, shown in a photo released by police.

A New Westminster woman who says she was violently attacked by her baby’s father in March last year, is asking for witnesses to come forward. (New Westminster Police Department)

“We are looking for witnesses to come forward who may have seen anything in this vehicle on that date, and if they have seen anything, please give us a call at the New Westminster Police Department,” he said.

Police say at the time, the woman was wearing a red sweatshirt, black jacket, and blue jeans.

In a release in April 2022, investigators said they believe the incident happened between 1 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. They say the Highlander may have been driven through several municipalities in Metro Vancouver, including New Westminster and Burnaby. Police also think it was stopped “for a period of time” near Burnaby Hospital.

“The passenger in the vehicle, who was the victim of this alleged assault, was actively trying to exit the vehicle, and get the attention of other motorists by using hand signals and calling out for help,” police said at the time.

(Courtesy: New Westminster Police)

The mother says the day after the attack, she gave premature birth to her baby, who didn’t have fully developed lungs.

“He told me, ‘Can you kill the baby?’ I told him I can’t do it, and he said, ‘If you can’t kill the baby, kill yourself,” she said.

Despite the abuse and violence she says she has been subjected to, the woman is happy her son is alive.

If you have any information regarding the alleged assault, you’re being asked to call the NWPD Major Crime Unit at 604-525-5411.