Badly beaten elderly West Kelowna woman found by passersby in backcountry

WEST KELOWNA – RCMP say an elderly West Kelowna woman was badly beaten and left on a forest service road in the backcountry last night and investigators are looking for a possible witness.

The incident happened some time before 8:30 p.m. yesterday, April 29, when the 79-year-old woman was driven in her grey 2005 Nissan X-Trail with licence plate number FM590J from her home in Village Mobile Home Park by a man she knew, according to an RCMP media release. The man drove the injured woman to a remote area near Bear Lake Forest Service Road and Westside Road where she was found at about 8:34 p.m. by a man and a woman passing by.

They called 911 and drove her out of the rural area to waiting emergency crews who rushed her to hospital with serious injuries.

“Our preliminary investigation has revealed that the elderly woman was the victim of an alleged assault, carried out by an individual who was well known to her,” Kelowna RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey said in the news release.

Police have arrested her alleged attacker, a 60-year-old man who was known to her.

“Our investigators would like to speak with the citizen, who they believe was concerned for the well-being of the elderly woman, when he encountered the suspect and the victim along the way,” O’Donaghey said. “We have reason to believe that the suspect re-assured the stranger that he was taking the injured elderly victim to hospital for care.”

Anyone with any additional information is asked to contact the West Kelowna RCMP General Investigation Section at 250-768-2880. Or remain completely anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or by leaving a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net.

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