Police urge vigilance following East Van sexual assault

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Police are urging you to be vigilant after a young woman was groped by a man wearing a mask in Vancouver on Wednesday night.

It happened just minutes after the victim got off a train at the Nanaimo SkyTrain station around 9 p.m. Investigators say she was grabbed from behind before the man ran off.

The suspect is described as an Asian man in his 20s, who is about 5’8″ tall and has a slim build. Police say he has short dark hair and was wearing a dark-coloured cap, dark-rimmed plastic framed glasses, a dark jacket with a light-coloured liner, dark pants, running shoes, and a white medical mask covering the lower half of his face.

The VPD Sex Crimes Unit believes this attack may be related to similar incident that happened back on October 29th, where a woman was assaulted after getting of a bus near Victoria Drive and East 64th Ave.

“Although we have not confirmed the link between the two incidents, we want the public to be aware that similarities exist and one man could be responsible for both attacks,” says VPD Constable Jason Doucette. “Out of an abundance of caution, we are sharing this information, and asking people to remain vigilant, particularly after leaving transit in East Vancouver. All suspicious behavior should be reported to 9-1-1 immediately.”

In the October incident, the suspect had been described as a 5’9″ Asian man, who weighs about 160 lbs. and who was wearing a dark coloured jacket, as well as a medical mask.

If you have any information about either of these attacks, you’re asked to call the VPD at 604-717-0604 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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