Mother fears for her son’s safety after Kelowna park robbery – Okanagan | Globalnews.ca

A West Kelowna mother says she fears for her son’s safety after he was mugged in a park in the early morning hours of July 5.

Taylor Lanz, 16, says he and two of his friends were sitting in Kinsman Athletic Park, listening to music and catching up. Later that night, a white Dodge Ram with two male occupants began yelling at them.

The truck proceeded to drive away, but then the driver backed up into the parking lot. That’s when Taylor says the two men began to approach them.

“His friends ran some distance and hid in some bushes, Taylor didn’t run far enough, he was confused,” said Taylor’s mother, Salinna Ossevorth.

Although Taylor did what he could to try to avoid the pair, they found him hiding under a tree. That’s when the teen says he was attacked. Ossevorth says her son suffered a broken nose, cuts to his face and bruises to his back.

“I feel like our neighborhood is safe, or I thought it was safe,” Ossevorth said.

“It’s hard to sleep at night knowing someone hurt my son like this.”

Police are looking for two bearded men who were driving the white Dodge pickup, but would also like to speak to people in a red car who were in the area at the same time. Ossevorth says that he is keeping a closer eye on his son after the attack.

“I told him not to go out at night anymore, not to walk home anymore or to be dropped off at friends’ houses,” Ossevorth explained.

Taylor is slowly recovering from his injuries, but wonders why anyone would want to go after him and his friends like that.

“I would never expect something like this to happen in this area.”

Despite the horrible experience, there was a shining moment. Two complete strangers stopped to help Lanz as he sat on the ground waiting for the paramedics.

“It was wonderful that someone stopped to help my son and waited with him while he was scared, injured and covered in blood and kept him safe at the time,” Ossevorth said.

Authorities say the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the West Kelowna RCMP at 250-768-2880.