Man charged in unprovoked attack at famous Vancouver beach released after less than 48 hours

Witnesses described the weapon as a piece of lumber or driftwood about the size and thickness of a baseball bat. Photo by Trevor Hagan /Bloomberg

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A man accused of attacking a woman on Kitsilano Beach in Vancouver has been released after spending less than 48 hours in custody.

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The incident occurred on June 28, just before 2 p.m., when local police received several 911 calls reporting a man striking an apparently unsuspecting woman on the head with a piece of wood.

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Witnesses described the weapon as a piece of lumber or driftwood about the size and thickness of a baseball bat, Vancouver Police Department said in a news release.

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The woman was walking along the beach, which is one of Vancouver’s most popular waterfront spots, with her partner when she was attacked.

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Police said her partner intervened and several witnesses came to assist, while other witnesses followed the suspect and called 911.

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Carlos Caldera Duarte was arrested by Vancouver Police shortly after the incident in a dollar store near the beach.

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The victim, who police say was bleeding from the head and slipping in and out of consciousness, was taken to the hospital for treatment and is expected to recover.

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Sgt. Adam Donaldson of the Vancouver Police Department said in a news release on Monday: “This appears to be an unprovoked assault in a busy public place. We’re grateful to the witnesses who intervened, followed the suspect, and provided critical information to police.”

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Caldera Duarte spent less than 48 hours in custody before being released back into the community on Tuesday. He was released with court-imposed conditions and is scheduled to return to court on July 7, police said.

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The decision to release him has drawn criticism from Elenore Sturko, MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale, British Columbia, who called the attack “extremely concerning” in a social media post.

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“Especially because of the random nature of this attack, this is the type of scenario where British Columbians would want a suspect held in custody,” she wrote.

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“There is no doubt many people will be questioning whether recent bail reforms have gone far enough.”

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Legal records show that Caldera Duarte was charged with assault with a weapon on June 28 and attended two bail hearings at Vancouver Provincial Court on June 29 and June 30. Judge Kathryn Denhoff fixed a court date for Tuesday.

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