An 86-year-old Abbotsford man is recovering in hospital after being assaulted and robbed in what police are calling a “sickening incident.”
At around 1:50 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, a man followed the senior home to his apartment complex in the 2800 block of Clearbrook Road.
The suspect allegedly entered the victim’s suite and proceeded to assault him and then rummage through his home, leaving with a wallet and jewelry.
Const. Ian MacDonald said it is unknown how the suspect gained entry to the apartment.
The 86-year-old was left bleeding on the ground for 40 minutes, until his wife came home and discovered him there, MacDonald said.
The man, who remains in hospital as of Wednesday morning, suffered bruises and lacerations to his face and an injury to his shoulder.
Abbotsford police reviewed surveillance footage from the building and tracked the victim’s credit card. When the card was used at a local business, police moved to the area and recognized the man from the footage.
Hughie Dean Stump, 45, has been charged with five offences: aggravated assault, robbery, break and enter, possession of stolen property and theft of a credit card.
According to provincial court records, Stump has a long criminal history.
He most recently was charged with seven counts of fraud in Quesnel. Several of those charges were stayed, but he remains before the courts on four counts.
In 2010 he was convicted of robbery, assault causing bodily harm, fraud, break and enter, assault and resisting or obstructing a peace officer in connection with an attack on an elderly man in Mission in November 2009. Stump was sentenced to 16 months in prison for the attack, along with three years of probation.
In that case, police told the media that Stump pretended to need help to lure a senior, and then jumped him for his wallet.