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Canadian woman hit by drugged hatchet-wielding man in Merida shopping district

Merida, Q.R. — A man who was captured on city surveillance cameras in Merida attacking pedestrians with a hatchet has been arrested. On Tuesday morning, Merida city officials watched as a man in a blue shirt hit a female pedestrian in the head with a hatchet as she crossed his path.

The man is then seen chasing other pedestrians across a busy street with his hatchet raised. While some ran right, a woman (in white shirt and striped shorts) ran left and was followed by the hatchet-wielding man.

The incident happened around 11:30 a.m. in La Ciudad Blanca, a busy central shopping district of Merida, Yucatan. The woman who was hit by the hatchet is reported to be a Canadian tourist.

She was seen on city surveillance (dressed all in black) holding her ear after the man passed by. She was taken to hospital by ambulance where she received medical attention for a 10-centimeter gash.

The unnamed Canadian woman was transferred to hospital where doctors confirmed “a 10-centimeter wound which extended from her head to her left ear.”

Shortly after the attack, police captured the armed man in city streets. Taken into custody was 24-year-old Eliasin “N” from the state of Tabasco. The State Attorney General of Merida announced his arrest Tuesday afternoon, saying he had been transferred to a city jail.

“Once at the detention center he was subjected to a medical analysis through which they were able to confirm a positive result for intoxication due to drug use,” they said without specifying the type of drug.