2 taken to hospital after intervening in robbery of elderly woman: Winnipeg police

A man and a woman, both in their 50s, were taken to hospital after being assaulted with a weapon when they tried to intervene in an attempted robbery Monday night, Winnipeg police say.

Officers responded to a report of an assault in the 600 block ofBalmoralStreet, between Ellice and Cumberland avenues, around 9 p.m., police said in a Tuesday news release.

It's believed that the two victims were bystanders in the area who witnessed a female trying to rob an elderly woman.

The pair intervened and were assaulted with a weapon by the would-be robber, who then fled, police said.

Both people suffered significant injuries. The woman was taken to hospital in unstable condition, but later upgraded to stable. The man was taken to hospital in stable condition.

The Winnipeg Police Service's major crimes unit is investigating, and asks anyone with information to call204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477 (TIPS).