Kelowna man says he was jumped, had his teeth knocked out in attack – Kelowna News

A Kelowna man is sounding the alarm after he says he was jumped while transferring some lumber from his vehicle to his home along Dougall Road last week.

Dimitri Zaphiris tells Castanet he was unloading the wood in front of his Dougall Road home, near the bus loop on Shepherd Road, on June 22 at 11:30 a.m. when two men approached him from behind.

“These two men asked for my lumber and as I turned and opened the back door of the van I was blindsided, sucker-punched on one side of my face which in turn smashed the other side of my face into the van door and I went down.”

Zaphiris says he was briefly knocked unconscious by the blows and when he came to, he saw the pair walking off with his cell phone.

“I was up with enough time to see them leaving with my phone which I asked for and they threw into the field. How I was able to find it is something of a miracle itself,” says Zaphiris.

He managed to call a friend and get a ride to the hospital where he found out his jaw was broken in two places and he was missing teeth.

“All my front top teeth were smashed and needed to be extracted.”

Zaphiris says he reported the incident to Kelowna RCMP and they are actively investigating.

“RCMP can confirm we are investigating an assault that occurred in the Rutland neighbourhood. It’s an active investigation so no other details can be released at this time,” says RCMP spokesperson Ryan Watters.

Zaphiris says he has had follow-up surgery and won’t be able to chew for the next six weeks and will need major dental work including dentures.

“I don’t know that I can afford the cost even with help from victim’s services.”

Zaphiris has started a GoFundMe to help him cover the cost of his future medical bills.

“I am having trouble with some prescription costs and meals as well as I don’t have proper coverage for full teeth replacement, as far as I can tell. I was very hesitant to set this [GoFundMe] up, but I am kind of hooped,” Zaphiris says.