Man charged with assault with hammer in downtown Victoria park.

Photo: VicPD

Victoria police are investigating after a man has been accused of assaulting a woman with a hammer in a downtown Victoria Park.

CTV News Vancouver Island is reporting the incident began as an argument Monday at 9:45 a.m. but escalated as police made their way to the incident.

By the time officers arrived they located the suspect in his own tent in the 200-block of Menzies Street. He was reportedly seen destroying a woman's tent with a baseball bat before assaulting her with a hammer.

Paramedics treated the victim at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries, according to VicPD and investigators say they do not believe the incident was related to intimate partner violence.

The suspect, a 48-year-old man, now faces charges of assault with a weapon, breach of probation and breach of a release order.

The man, is known to VicPD and has a lengthy criminal history, including more than 50 criminal convictions.

-with files from CTV News Vancouver Island