Richmond man charged after assault of stranger: RCMP

A man has been charged in relation to the assault of an apparent stranger, says Richmond RCMP.

A 37-year-old Richmond man has been charged twice in relation to the assault of a 62-year-old man, who police say was unknown to the assailant.

Police say they responded to an incident on Tomicki Avenue, just south of Tomsett Elementary in Richmond, shortly after 1 a.m. on Sept. 10. Noting before they arrived, the suspect had fled the scene.

On Nov. 1, Xuewei Li was arrested in relation to the assault, and a search warrant was executed at his Richmond residence.

Li was subsequently charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon by the Prosecution Service of BC.

The victim sustained serious, but non-life-threatening injuries from the assault and was treated in hospital, according to police.

Mounties say no motive has been determined for the attack.

“The safety of the community is and remains our utmost priority,” Inspector Michael Cohee with the Richmond RCMP said.

“The combined focus from a number of specialized investigative units within Richmond Detachment and Frontline officers culminated in the swift identification and arrest of the individual responsible.”