Repeat Offender Accused of Assaulting Teen Was Freed Twice in Weeks Before Alleged Attack

A Vancouver woman is speaking out after a terrifying encounter with a man who, just weeks later, would be arrested for allegedly assaulting a 14-year-old girl in a public restroom.

In March, Danielle, 28, says a stranger climbed onto the third-floor patio of her East Vancouver apartment around 4:30 a.m., banged on her windows, and screamed at her. Her dog’s barking woke her up just in time.

"I grabbed a knife from the kitchen. He was throwing furniture off my deck and yelling nonsense. It was clear he was under the influence," she recalled.

Police responded swiftly and arrested the man, John Frederick Field, 62, at the scene. He was taken to jail and released within 24 hours, under conditions to stay away from Danielle and her home. Field was already on probation at the time.

Less than two months later, on May 28, Field was arrested again — this time charged with five serious offences including sexual assault with a weapon, unlawful confinement, and robbery. The charges stem from what police described as a crime spree in Vancouver’s Oakridge neighbourhood, which included an alleged assault on a 14-year-old girl.

Multiple Missed Warnings

Before the teen assault, Field had other run-ins with police. On May 6, he was arrested for shoplifting from a downtown retail store. He was also being sought in connection with two other incidents in the area.

Danielle said the March break-in shook her deeply — she moved homes out of fear.

"I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t want to be on my patio or walk my dog alone. I didn’t feel safe in my own neighbourhood."

After his March arrest, Vancouver police submitted a report to Crown prosecutors for charge assessment. However, Crown requested additional evidence including Danielle’s statement transcript, 911 audio, photos, and nearby CCTV footage. That follow-up wasn’t submitted until June 4, over two months later — the same week Field was formally charged with trespassing at night.

By then, he was already in custody for the May incident involving the teenager.

A Troubling Past

Court records reveal Field’s extensive criminal history. He was convicted of sexual assault in 1989, and again in 2018 and 2023 — both incidents involving health-care workers. In one of those cases, he assaulted a medical technician during a heart test while on parole.

After the 2023 conviction, Field was sentenced to 30 months, but advanced credit for pretrial custody meant he served only three additional months. The judge noted Field had been considered for a long-term offender designation, but Crown prosecutors did not pursue it.

In 2022, Field failed to return to a halfway house while on statutory release from a maximum-security facility. A Canada-wide warrant was issued and he was arrested four days later.

Accountability Gaps

Police say they acted appropriately, detaining Field as long as the law permitted. VPD submitted the March incident to B.C. Corrections, but it’s unclear whether probation officers took further steps. The B.C. Prosecution Service confirmed it had returned the case for more evidence but has not commented on why it wasn’t expedited given Field’s history.

Field’s bail hearing is scheduled for June 26. None of the charges have been proven in court.