By Keith Lacey, Local Journalism Initiative/Penticton Herald
The stepfather of the man who was viciously assaulted outside a Penticton restaurant and sent to hospital with brain injuries is livid that the suspect arrested and charged with assault Monday evening was again walking free by Tuesday morning.
Steve Zeiler is also very upset at a press release issued by the Penticton RCMP Tuesday morning as it claimed the injuries his son suffered were “non-life-threatening.”
Zeiler noted his stepson, Vincent Florence, 28, suffered bleeding on the brain and had to be transferred for emergency surgery from Penticton Regional Hospital to Kelowna General Hospital because doctors were so worried about his condition following the assault.
The press release stated: “On Dec. 22, shortly before 10:30 p.m., Penticton RCMP were called to a restaurant in the 2400 block of Skaha Lake Road, for an alleged assault.
“The investigation revealed that a 28-year-old man had been assaulted, resulting in serious, non-life-threatening injuries.
“The suspect was released on a police undertaking with conditions. The investigation remains active and ongoing, with the RCMP having recommended criminal charges to the BC Prosecution Service.
“Should anyone have information about this incident, they’re asked to contact the Penticton RCMP at 250-492-4300.”
The man who has been arrested is almost twice the size of his stepson and it enrages him that he’s been released on conditions within hours following his arrest, said Zeiler.
“I’m disappointed that this guy is out of jail obviously,” he said. “I’m also disappointed that the press release that stated ‘non life-threatening injuries’. I don’t know how much emergency brain surgery could be non life-threatening.”
Zeiler said he’s been given the name of the individual who has been charged with assaulting his stepson.
The Herald has decided to not release the name until he makes his first court appearance.
Considering the physical harm caused to his stepson, Zeiler said the common assault charge is also upsetting and hopes a more serious charge is considered by the Crown in the future.
“You spend more time sitting in the drunk tank in Penticton or any court system in this country than you do for a serious incident like this where my stepson could have been killed,” he said.
He is close friends with a high-profile Penticton lawyer, who used to work as a Crown prosecutor in Vancouver.
“She told me that if she was handling this case in Vancouver when she was working for the Crown, she would have charged him with attempted murder,” said Zeiler.
He’s been told by police the man charged was released with conditions and will remain free until a scheduled court appearance in May.
This only adds to the anger and frustration being felt by himself, his stepson, his entire family and a large group of supporters, said Zeiler.
“Vincent is terrified of this guy and you can’t really blame him,” he said. “We’ve got a whole town that basically knows this guy’s name. Everybody knows who it is and they can’t believe he’s being released back into society until May.
“It doesn’t seem like anybody is taking this seriously anymore. I don’t know what it is. It’s a revolving door in our court system. It’s disgusting.”
Zeiler said he phoned the RCMP Monday evening after other people contacted him to inform him an arrest has been made.
“The police actually phoned other people that we know before they phoned the family,” he said. “They never even phoned us directly that they had arrested anybody. I’m the one who had to phone them because somebody phoned me and told me that they had made an arrest. They didn’t bother phoning us. They didn’t phone us at all.
“I phoned there last night (Monday) and I didn’t get a phone call back. That’s unacceptable.”
Zeiler said it was members of the Clean Streets Penticton Facebook group that played a significant role in gathering information leading to the arrest.
Clean Streets Penticton is a group of local residents who have signed up to a Facebook group and formed committees where citizens patrol neighbourhoods to try and improve public safety in and around Penticton.
On their Facebook page, it states: “The goal of this community group is to reduce the impacts of crime, violence and antisocial activity by providing support, information and assistance to any community members that request it. It is a secure forum to share information and decrease vulnerability through facilitation of connection to a supportive neighborhood organization.”
Zeiler said he’s very thankful to anyone who may have played a role leading to an arrest in his stepson’s case.
“It was the Clean Streets Penticton people who found him,” he said. “They were the ones who found him and phoned the police to notify him where he was. They caught him right near where the assault happened.”
His stepson was released from hospital on Sunday and is feeling better, but he has a long road ahead of him to make a full recovery, he said.
“He’s still got really bad headaches,” he said. “He’s getting migraines. He can’t really do a lot. We take him outside the house for 10 minutes or so, so he can get some fresh air.
“We have family staying with him all the time right now. The hospital said to not leave him alone and keep a close eye on him for a little bit (longer). We can’t risk having him pass out with no one there.”
According to his stepfather, Vincent was cold-cocked by an unknown man when he was leaving the restaurant, after making a purchase. After being punched, he hit his head on the ground and suffered two brain bleeds.
The assailant was accompanied by a woman, who Vincent recognized. She allegedly stole his wallet and keys after the assault, he said.
Vincent was sent to Penticton Regional Hospital, but immediately rushed to Kelowna where they have brain specialists on site.
He holds down two part-time jobs — Clancy’s Liquor Store on Martin Street and the Barking Parrot at the Penticton Lakeside Resort.
“Vincent is much loved,” said Zeiler. “He also works part-time at the Barking Parrot (pub) and they’re devastated by what’s happened. `They can’t do this to our Vinnie,’ they’re saying. Vincent’s the kind of young guy that if someone had instead come up to him and said, `can you buy me 12 beer?,’ he’d probably say `sure’ and do it for them.”
Zeiler and Vincent’s mother first learned of the assault at 2:30 a.m. on Monday and immediately rushed to Kelowna.
It was a lousy Christmas for the family, but they remain optimistic.
It’s anticipated he will be off work for up to six months. The family is unsure as to when he’ll be able to come home.
Vincent’s sister Victoria Florence set up a GoFundMe page to help cover his loss of wages. The page was at $9,800 as of Tuesday afternoon.
Zeiler praised the medical system — “they did such an amazing job” with his stepson. “The doctors, nurses, ambulance staff… all 100 per cent professionals.”
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