Vancouver man accused of hitting six pedestrians in unprovoked street assaults
Dylan Brandon Gaita, 29, faces assault charges after allegedly shoulder-checking and elbowing strangers on Commercial Drive and downtown Vancouver sidewalks.
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A 29-year-old Vancouver man now stands accused of hitting six pedestrians as he walked past them on city streets.
Dylan Brandon Gaita faces assault charges after video released by Vancouver Police on June 30 showed a man lifting his elbow and hitting a woman in the face near Commercial Drive and East 1st Avenue. The victim saw the footage and filed a complaint on July 4. Police subsequently charged Gaita for a separate incident on June 28, when he allegedly shoulder-checked a man near Commercial Drive and Charles Street, causing him to lose his balance.
Gaita was arrested in March in connection with a series of stranger assaults targeting women in downtown Vancouver. That investigation began in January 2025 after a 44-year-old woman was assaulted near Granville and Dunsmuir streets. At least three other women reported similar attacks, where a suspect elbowed or shoulder-checked them while passing on sidewalks. In some cases, victims were knocked to the ground.
Gaita was released after his March arrest and remained on the streets until the recent charges.
The facts
How many pedestrians was Dylan Brandon Gaita accused of hitting?
Dylan Brandon Gaita, a 29-year-old Vancouver man, faces assault charges for allegedly hitting six pedestrians on city streets.
When did Vancouver Police release video of one of the alleged assaults?
Vancouver Police released video on June 30, 2026 showing a man lifting his elbow and hitting a woman in the face near Commercial Drive and East 1st Avenue.
When was Gaita arrested in connection with downtown Vancouver stranger assaults?
Gaita was arrested in March 2025 in connection with a series of stranger assaults targeting women in downtown Vancouver.
