A woman visiting family in Edmonton was attacked on the LRT over the weekend.
Iris Pino Ortega, 65, was visiting from Chile when she was knocked out while on a train at Corona LRT Station.
Ortega returned to Chile on Tuesday morning, but her sister Elsa Henriquez and nephew Carlos Henriquez spoke to CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday.
The two sisters decided to take the LRT downtown on Saturday to explore.
Elsa says they saw the man who assaulted Ortega get on the train shortly before 1 p.m.
"Just went up to my aunt, elbowed her in the back of the head, she turned to him like, 'What happened?' And then just clocked her against the face and she just collapsed," Carlos said.
“I see the guy hit her with the elbow and I say, 'Oh my God," Elsa said.
A spokesperson for the Edmonton Police Service says Ortega's attacker ran from the train. He has not been located.
Ortega suffered minor injuries as a result of the attack.
"When your family comes to visit you, you want to show them the best Edmonton has to offer. Not the worst. And that’s the memory she's taking with her," Carlos said.
Carlos and Elsa are now trying to get security video of the attack to amplify the discussion around LRT safety.
Edmonton Transit Service says it provides security video to police, but not to the general public.
"Edmonton Transit Service supports Edmonton Police Service in their investigations and that includes providing EPS with CCTV video footage," Carrie Hotton-MacDonald of ETS said in a written statement. "This footage is provided only for investigative purposes to protect personal information."
Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi says transit safety is a priority for the city, and says the attack highlights some of the gaps in the social system.
"This is a reflection of a bigger problem that we have seen and experienced over the last year or so. We have seen crime increased, random attacks increased in public places, including on public transit," he said Tuesday.
"Violent crime in any form is unacceptable, but we also know that issues around mental health and addictions are causing these issues and people need help."
The city has approved funding for more transit Peace Officers, and the province has approved money for more police officers to be deployed on both Edmonton and Calgary's transit systems.
"No one should experience what this visitor to our city has experienced. So my heart goes out to her. My heart goes out to her family," Sohi said.
"Whenever you have these kinds of incidents they definitely tarnish the image of our community, and I worry about that."
EPS says the assault is under investigation.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jessica Robb
