A 25-year-old Maple Ridge man faces assault charges after a confrontation early Sunday morning.

Police said the incident took place in the Haney Hotel parking lot at about 2:40 a.m. A man got into an argument with two women, 19 and 20 years old, and ended up hitting one of them. The other was thrown to the ground. He also got into a brief fight with a 19-year-old man before leaving. The three victims were taken to Ridge Meadows Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

They later encountered the suspect on 222nd Street when they were travelling home in a taxi. The man threw a cement block through the taxi’s window. Ridge Meadows RCMP arrived and arrested the man. He was later released, but is to appear in court again to face recommended charges of assault and mischief.

Pharmacy robbed

Oxytocin was stolen from a local pharmacy Friday for the second time in three weeks.

A man wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans, with what appeared to be paint spilled on them, walked into a pharmacy in the 22900 block of Lougheed Highway in Maple Ridge at about 1 p.m. Friday. He demanded an undisclosed quantity of oxytocin, a prescription drug police say is popular among drug addicts. After the drug was handed over, he left the store.

The thief is described as a white man with short curly brown hair, slim build, 30-35 years old and about 6’0” tall.

Ridge Meadows RCMP are looking into whether there’s a link between this robbery and a similar one that took place three weeks ago at Meadows Pharmacy in Pitt Meadows. In that robbery, a man wearing a black mask over his face walked into the pharmacy and demanded an undisclosed quantity of oxytocin.

Boat stolen

A boat and boat trailer were stolen from a Maple Ridge home last week. The theft occurred between Aug. 25 and Aug. 27 in the 25700 block of 128 Ave. The white boat – a 28-foot Regal, Commander – was sitting on a Road Runner boat trailer with the B.C. license plate No. 889 405.

• RCMP: 604-463-6251.