Former police volunteer accused in Vancouver stranger assaults was first charged last summer, records show

Charges have been laid against a former community policing volunteer accused of a series of stranger attacks on women that began more than a year ago.

A former police volunteer accused in a series of stranger assaults in Vancouver’s downtown core was quietly charged last summer, but only in connection with one of the alleged attacks, court records show.

The Vancouver Police Department publicly announced charges against Dylan Brandon Gaita on Wednesday, accusing the 28-year-old of “elbowing or shoulder-checking” women at random in several incidents reported between January 2025 and January 2026.

At a news conference, Const. Megan Lui told reporters that similar circumstances and suspect descriptions between the attacks drew the attention of the department’s Special Investigation Section, and that members arrested Gaita on March 5.

“All these assaults are very violent in nature, and unprovoked,” Lui said. “It’s a concern for everybody.”

But court records show Gaita was charged in connection with one of the first incidents last August, months before he allegedly went on to attack another woman on Jan. 31, 2026.

Sgt. Steve Addison confirmed police were already investigating four assaults last summer—reported on Jan. 21, Jan. 29, April 26 and April 29—when Gaita was charged in the Jan. 29 incident.

Asked why Gaita wasn’t accused in any other assaults at the time, Addison said there was “insufficient evidence” to support additional charges last August.

“We submitted a report to Crown counsel in March 2026, once additional evidence was obtained,” Addison told CTV News in an email. “We then made this information public, including a release of the suspect’s photograph.”

A LinkedIn profile of the accused reveals he used to volunteer with a community policing centre downtown.

Asked about his involvement with the department, Lui confirmed Gaita is “no longer an active volunteer.”

Authorities said the accused volunteered with the centre between October 2022 and March 2023, and that he underwent a criminal background check before doing so.

Police shared the accused’s picture Wednesday in the hopes of generating new tips from witnesses or potential victims, describing Gaita as six feet tall, 210 lbs., with balding brown hair, brown eyes and an athletic build.

“Some of these incidents are not reported to us because the victims choose to not come forward,” Lui said.

The first four incidents were reported near Alberni and Thurlow streets, Granville and Dunsmuir streets, Granville and Robson streets, and Homer and Georgia streets. Police confirmed each was reported the day they happened.

Some victims were “body-checked,” while others were hit with their assailant’s elbow, including a woman who was struck “forcefully” in the chest, Lui said. Some were knocked to the ground by the blow.

“A lot of these victims, they are injured, they are hurt,” Lui added. “Not all of them are physical or visible injuries.”

Gaita has remained in custody since March 5 but has a bailing hearing scheduled for Friday, police said.