Vancouver police investigating 3 random attacks in Fairview

Vancouver police are investigating what they describe asa series of violent assaults in the city's Fairview neighbourhood Thursday night.

Const.Tania Visintin says the alleged assaults involvedan unknown male attacker or attackers, and occurred within a span of about two hours Thursday evening.

"Three violent attacks happened in close proximity to each other within a short time-frame," Visintinsaid in a news release.

"At this time, investigators are trying to determine if any of the assaults are related."

Visintin says the first attack happened just after 6:30 p.m. near the False Creek seawallunder the Cambie Street Bridge.

A 70-year-old man was approached from behind, tackled to the ground, then punched and kicked several times by an unknown male assailant.

About 45 minutes later, around 7:15 p.m.,a 33-year-old woman was walking her dog in a laneway near West 11th Avenue and Spruce Street, when she was approached from behind and punched in the face.

Police say the third attack happened just before 8:45 p.m., when a 23-year-old woman was stabbed as she walked near West Broadway and Alder Street. She suffered aserious but non-life-threatening injury.

The man allegedly involved in the stabbing was last seen heading south on Alder Street.

"Incidents like these leave victims with physical and emotional scars, but they also cause fear and anxiety throughout the community,'' said Visintin.

Anyone who witnessed the incidents or has any information that could help with the investigation is asked to call the Vancouver Police Department's major crime section at 604-717-2541.