Stranger attack allegations pile up against Vancouver man

Dylan Brandon Gaita, 29, now stands accused of hitting six people — mostly women — as he walked past them

Vancouver man Dylan Brandon Gaita now stands accused of hitting pedestrians on six separate occasions as he walked past them. On Monday, the Vancouver Police Department reported the 29-year-old had been charged with assault for an incident on June 28 near the intersection of Commercial Drive and Charles Street. In that case, the well-built Gaita is accused of shoulder-checking a man, causing him to lose his balance.

The complaint was made to police on July 4, after the victim saw video footage released by the VPD on June 30 showing a man walking near the intersection of Commercial Drive and East 1st Avenue lift his elbow and hit a woman in the face as she was passing by. At that time, police identified Gaita as the suspect and said that he had been charged with assault.

Gaita was out on the streets after being 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 by a stranger while walking near Granville and Dunsmuir streets. At least three other women also reported similar attacks, where a suspect elbowed or shoulder-checked women while passing them on sidewalks.

In some cases, the victims were knocked to the ground.