Maple Ridge man assaulted while walking dog

Residents in downtown Maple Ridge are speaking out after one of their neighbours was assaulted while walking his dog Saturday night.

The Ridge Meadows RCMP says it received word of the assault near Selkirk Avenue and 224 Street around 10:15 p.m.

Reports say a 47-year-old man was walking his chihuahua, badly beaten by a group of men with bats, and sent to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police say it appears to have been an isolated incident, but Maple Ridge residents say it’s emblematic of a larger problem.

After the assault Saturday, the victim made it back to his apartment — two blocks away — before seeking help from the building’s managers.

Assistant manager Sidney Johnson told CityNews he found tracks of blood in the building’s entrance.

“I believe I heard [the victim needed] 24 staples and stitches, on the back of his head and the top of his head,” Johnson explained.

Other residents of the apartments say they’ve seen this kind of violence before.

“You can’t trust yourself, your head has to be on a pivot,” said one.

“We don’t feel safe,” said another, adding that the feeling extends to the short walk she takes to put her garbage in the bins outside.

One woman explained how her disabled son was nearly murdered several years ago in apartments that largely house elderly people.

“[Someone] stabbed him seven times. He’s still sore; he’s still sick — it’s just horrible,” she explained.

Residents of the building describe daily fear due to what they say is consistent verbal harassment and threats of violence from people who congregate by the parking lot.

“It’s getting worse, really,” said Johnson. “They say it’s not, but it is.”

Most say the area has deteriorated since The Hub — a service that provides support to people experiencing homelessness — opened nearby. Meanwhile, the residents say their concerns have not been heard.

Maple Ridge Mayor Dan Ruimy says the city has hired more police officers and increased patrols, but there’s only so much it can do.

“We’re using city tax dollars, our municipal residents are paying for this. We really need the province and the federal government to step up and try something different, because what they’re doing is not working,” said Ruimy.

Police say the investigation into the assault Saturday is ongoing, but no arrests have been made.