Suspect in violent attack on Toronto woman on Vancouver's seawall released on house arrest

CBC News

· Posted: May 20, 2025 8:30 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

The suspect in a stranger attack on Vancouver's seawall last month has been released, police said Tuesday.

Peterhans Nungu, 34, was arrested and charged with assault causing bodily harm, police said, in connection with the assault in Coal Harbour on April 15. 

News of the arrest came after a Toronto woman shared details of the violent attack on social media.

WATCH | Man charged after assault on Vancouver's seawall:  

In a Tuesday new release, police said Nungu was granted bail and released from police custody on April 23, but was transferred to a secure medical facility where he was under medical supervision. Police said he was released from there on Tuesday and will be living under house arrest in Vancouver.

Nungu's bail conditions include that he cannot contact the victim, possess weapons, or consume alcohol and drugs. He is under around-the-clock house arrest unless he has permission to leave for work or a medical appointment, police said. 

Officers will monitor Nungu during his release, police said. Anyone with information about alleged breaches of the bail conditions is asked to contact police immediately.

In a video posted to TikTok last month, a woman said she was walking not far from her hotel in Coal Harbour when a man said something to her, ran at her, grabbed her jacket and threw her to the ground.

She said she was able to fight the man off and get away, but he continued his pursuit.

The woman said he smashed her phone when she tried to call 911 and started striking her in the head, adding that at one point she blacked out.

CBC News contacted the TikTok user after the video was posted, but did not hear back.

The B.C. Prosecution Service confirmed last month that a person with the same name as Nungu was charged in Surrey on April 14 with assault of a peace officer, uttering a threat to cause death or bodily harm to another person and uttering a threat to cause damage to property. He appeared in court that day and was released.