man accused in string of vancouver stranger assaults faces new charge
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dylan brandon gaita, 29, is charged with assault in relation to a june 29 incident on a sidewalk near commercial drive and east 1st avenue in vancouver.
vpd
a man already facing charges in a series of alleged stranger assaults in downtown vancouver has been charged in connection with another unprovoked attack, said police.
dylan brandon gaita, 29, has been charged with assault after a woman was allegedly struck near east 1st avenue and commercial drive on monday evening, according to the vancouver police department.
investigators said the woman was walking near the intersection around 6:20 p.m. when a man walking in the opposite direction elbowed her in the face as he passed.
a surveillance video released by vancouver police shows a man lift his elbow as a woman approaches in the other direction.
screenshot/vancouver police depa
the new charge comes months after vancouver police warned the public about gaita following his arrest in march in connection with a series of alleged stranger assaults targeting women in downtown vancouver.
the investigation began in january 2025 after a 44-year-old woman was assaulted by a stranger while walking near granville and dunsmuir streets.
at least three other women later reported similar attacks, where a suspect elbowed or shoulder-checked women while passing them on sidewalks. in some cases, the victims were knocked to the ground.
gaita was arrested on march 5 and charged with four counts of assault in connection with incidents on jan. 21, april 26, april 29, 2025 and jan. 31, 2026.
dylan brandon gaita, 29, is charged with five counts of assault from incidents between january 2025 to june 2026.
vancouver police department
at the time, vancouver police released gaita’s photo and appealed for additional victims and witnesses to come forward, noting that random stranger assaults are not always reported immediately.
police renewed that appeal tuesday.
“incidents like this are serious and frightening for victims and witnesses,” said vancouver police const. megan lui in a news release issued tuesday. “some people may feel too upset to talk to us. we encourage anyone with information to come forward and speak with investigators as they work on this case.”
stranger assault at kits beach
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the incident comes a day after vancouver police arrested another man in a separate stranger assault at kitsilano beach.
police received several 911 calls on sunday, just before 2 p.m., after bystanders at the popular westside beach reported seeing a man pick up a piece of wood and hit a woman on the head.
the woman was walking along the beach with her partner when the man allegedly struck her from behind with the piece of wood, about the size of a baseball bat.
the woman’s partner intervened, and other witnesses jumped in.
officers arrested carlos caldera duarte minutes later at a dollar store near the beach. he is facing one count of assault with a weapon.
the victim, who was bleeding from the head and going in and out of consciousness, was taken to hospital for treatment. she is expected to recover, said police.
vpd spokesman sgt. adam donaldson advised the public on wednesday that duarte was no longer in jail.
“after spending less than 48 hours in custody, the man arrested in connection with a stranger attack at kits beach has been released back into the community,” said donaldson.
caldera duarte was released tuesday with court-imposed conditions and is due back in court on july 7.
with files from joseph ruttle
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