Horse-carriage operator mugged near legislature

Victoria police are looking for the man who mugged a woman near the legislature on Sunday night.

A ticket seller with Victoria Carriage Tours told police she was at the corner of Menzies and Belleville streets about 9:40 p.m. when a man pushed her from behind, said Tom Walker, the company’s general manager.

Walker said the woman, who is in her early 20s, fell to the ground. She told Walker the man said he would hurt her if she moved or called the police.

The man took the day’s pay envelope and fled eastbound on Belleville Street on a light-coloured road bike, said Victoria police spokesman Bowen Osoko.

Police looked for the man but were unable to find him. He is described as white and in his mid-30s, with a long, full beard. He was wearing a black and red ball cap, a dark-coloured hoodie and jeans.

Walker said the man had been hanging around the carriage booth, talking to carriage operators and customers and acting very “jolly.”

The woman told Walker that she’s trained in martial arts but she didn’t want to fight back because she couldn’t see if the man had a weapon.

“I said money isn’t everything. We can replace the money, we cannot replace you,” Walker said. He didn’t want to say how much was stolen, but said it’s a significant amount considering how much tourism operators are struggling amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Police said the woman declined medical attention. Walker said she took Monday off and was shaken up but recovering.