A man has been charged in the case of a Nanaimo mother who was punched in the head while holding her two-day-old baby in the maternity ward of Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.
Daniel Archibald Frank, 30, was charged with one count of assault and breach of probation. He was released from custody on bail. His next court date has been set for Aug. 21.
The baby, born Aug. 2, was uninjured in the incident, said Const. Gary O'Brien. The 27-year-old mother was not seriously harmed.
The altercation happened at the hospital at 6:14 a.m. Saturday.
The woman told police her former boyfriend -- who is the father of the child -- entered her hospital room and punched her in the head while she was holding the infant.
"Fearing for the safety of her daughter, she placed [her] in a nearby bassinet, then managed to push the accused out of the room," O'Brien said.
A nurse called 911.
The man ran from the hospital, O'Brien said. Officers located the suspect just before 1 p.m. He was taken into custody without incident.
The woman said she pulled the cord of the call bell beside her hospital bed for help but that it didn't work. She thought it might have malfunctioned because she pulled it so hard.
The Vancouver Island Health Authority said Wednesday the bell was working and couldn't explain what happened.
ceharnett@timescolonist.com
