Suspect arrested after gay couple assaulted on SkyTrain

Transit police say a suspect has been arrested for anassault on a gay couple inside a SkyTrain car in Vancouver earlier this fall.

The young victims were kicked, hit in the face and spat on by a man yelling obscenities and homophobic slurs on Sept. 28, according to a police statement. Officers say they are liaising with the provincial hate crime unit as the investigation moves forward.

The couple boarded the train at Waterfront Station at about 2:30 p.m. on the day of the attack, police say. As they stepped inside, a suspect allegedly kicked one of them in the foot, then got up from his seat and approached the victim aggressively.

Police say the victim crouched down while the suspect raised his hand, yelling vulgar terms, but a bystander pulled the suspect away before he could hit anyone.

Meanwhile, the victim's husband pushed the train's yellow emergency strip. When the suspect again became aggressive toward the first man, the husband grabbed the suspect and pulled him away, according to the police statement.

Police say the suspect then struck the husband in the face, knocking off his glasses.

When the train pulled into Granville Station, the suspect allegedly tried to kick one of the men in the stomach, stepped off the train and then spat in the other man's face.

The suspect then walked away, but "continued to hurl profanities and homophobic remarks toward the couple," the news release says.

Police announced the arrest of a suspect Wednesday night but provided no other details. In a statement, they said anyone who witnessed the assault is asked to contact them.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 604-516-7419 or text using the code 87-77-77.