Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media / File photo of RCMP. A Chilliwack dentist is struggling to recover from a concussion he suffered after telling Chilliwack RCMP he was assaulted and robbed of his wallet as he was running along the Vedder Rotary Trail last week.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Robbery

Chilliwack RCMP investigating after local dentist robbed, assaulted on Vedder Rotary Trail

Dec 16, 2024 | 9:44 AM

CHILLIWACK — A Chilliwack dentist is struggling to recover from a concussion he suffered after telling Chilliwack RCMP he was assaulted and robbed of his wallet as he was running along the Vedder Rotary Trail last week.

The man, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Fraser Valley Today he was jogging west on the trail from Vedder Park last Tuesday, Dec. 10 between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.

“I’ve run here several times,” said the man, who has worked as a dentist in Chilliwack for the past two years. “I was going to run at the Vedder River as it was getting dark. I was lacing up my shoes in the parking lot around my car and then went past the play structures [at Vedder Park] and went right on the trail and started running.”

Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media / The Vedder Rotary Trail in Chilliwack. The victim told police he was assaulted and robbed west of this section of the Vedder Rotary Trail.

About one kilometre into the run, the man said he was pushed onto the ground and was immediately surrounded by three men, one of whom had a knife.

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“They asked me for my phone, which was in my hand,” he said. “I said that they shouldn’t take my phone because i could trace it. They then asked for my wallet, and I said I didn’t have a wallet. Then, the man with the knife held me down while another went through my pockets, took my wallet and put the rest of my contents on the ground. Another man punched me three times in the cheek bone. They then ran away towards the (Vedder) bridge. I’m not sure if they cut through the forest or grass.”

Image: Contributed / A screenshot of the area in which the victim ran along the Vedder Trail.

The victim called 9-1-1 and met with an RCMP officer to provide a statement to police. He says his concussion is not healing a little less than a week after the traumatic incident.

“I now have a bad concussion which isn’t getting better after 5 days, and I feel like the RCMP haven’t taken this seriously,” he said. “I’m a professional health care worker and I feel like this has been a terrible introduction to what is otherwise a beautiful town.”

The victim described the three perpetrators as maybe six feet tall wearing dark clothes. Interestingly, one suspect had very long nails used to assault the victim.

“One also had very long nails and as he was grabbing my body to hold me down, his sharp long nail cut into my stomach and scratched me,” he said. “Not many words were said. The rest was a blur to me.”

Chilliwack RCMP spokesperson Corporal Carmen Kiener says police received similar information from the victim the night of the attack.

“I can confirm the information that you received is consistent with the information that the Chilliwack RCMP received,” Cpl. Kiener said. “Investigators are following all leads to identify the suspects who are still unknown at this time. This appears to be an isolated incident.”

The victim isn’t optimistic the suspects will be brought to justice.

“I don’t think they will find anyone. I just want people to know to be careful there at night,” he said.