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A 42-year-old Colombian man killed in a “mob assault” in north Edmonton early Sunday tried to walk away from the assailants, who remain on the loose, say police.

Leonardo Duran Ibanez of Colombia died in hospital Sunday afternoon after he and another man were attacked near 97 Street and 119 Avenue around 3:20 a.m.

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“Witnesses tell police that two males were walking home from a nearby establishment when they were approached by a group of four males and two females, described by the surviving complainant as being indigenous,” said Edmonton Police Service spokesman Scott Pattison.

Police responded to the call, finding Ibanez unconscious on the sidewalk and the other man, who is a family member, suffering minor injuries.

Investigators said the pair had been walking down 97 Street when they were approached by four males and two females who attempted to start a fight. The pair attempted to ignore the group and tried to walk away before they were attacked, with Ibanez pushed to the ground, where he was kicked in the head multiple times. His relative was repeatedly punched in the face.

“We believe perhaps by all accounts the assailants were just simply looking to pick a fight,” Pattison said.