Woman attacked picking up kids from daycare

An Edmonton mother of three was nearly strangled to death in front of her children Wednesday after a stranger attacked her outside a central Edmonton daycare.

City police announced news of the attack Friday, saying it began when a man tried to rob the 39-year-old woman of her backpack. The woman was waiting to pick up her kids from a daycare near 105 Avenue and 111 Street in the city's Queen Mary Park neighbourhood.

A 30-year-old man who was high on methamphetamine has been arrested and charged with a string of offences, including aggravated assault and choking with intent.

“She was just waiting at the door to be buzzed in to get her three kids,” police Insp. Erik Johnson said in an interview. “It happened right in front of the daycare, right in front of two of the three kids.”

The attack only stopped when officers investigating a vehicle breakin a block away intervened and wrestled the man into handcuffs.

“It was pretty obvious he was not going to stop his attack, because she was already unconscious and he was still choking and punching and hitting her,” Johnson said of the accused. “It was awful.”

Police said in a news release that the assault started around 3:45 Wednesday afternoon. The accused had been about a block away attempting to break into a truck when he noticed the woman's backpack, Johnson said.

According to a news release, the man approached the woman and tried to pull the backpack from her shoulders. The woman refused to let go. During the struggle, the man unzipped the bag and reached inside.

Police say the man then grabbed the woman by the hair and threw her to the ground, repeatedly smashing her head into the sidewalk outside Seven Stones Daycare.

Officers responding to the truck break-in saw the attack and rushed to help, Johnson said. By the time they arrived the man was on top of the unconscious woman with his hands around her neck. The ordeal lasted between three and five minutes.

“Another two minutes and we may have been talking about a homicide today,” Johnson said in a news release.

The woman was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries and has since been released.

Bereket Alazar, a member of the Eritrean Community Association of Edmonton, said the woman is a recent immigrant from the East African country. The community is “jittered” after the attack and waiting for more information from police, he said.

Rockie Rabbit, 30, has been charged with aggravated assault, choking to overcome resistance, robbery and breaching a court condition not to use drugs.

Johnson said the breach charge relates to a previous assault in Calgary.

The inspector added that as far as police are aware, hate was not a motivating factor in the assault. Edmonton and the surrounding area have seen eight allegedly hate-motivated attacks since last December, mostly involving Black and Muslim women.

“It's her being in the right place, at the wrong time,” Johnson said. “I think no matter who it was, he was going to try to take property and fuel his meth addiction.”

Rabbit's bail hearing has been set for July 22 in Edmonton.