Nanaimo RCMP are hoping someone recognizes a composite sketch of a man who sexually assaulted a woman who gave him a ride from one shopping mall to another.
Police say that on August 17, a 24-year-old woman was approached by an unknown, “clean cut” man in the parking lot of the Shoppers Drug Mart at Country Club Centre. He asked her for a ride to Woodgrove Centre.
She agreed to his request, and drove him to Woodgrove, where he asked to be dropped off at the cinema. While she was driving, the man made small talk with her, saying he had attended a wedding the night before in Nanaimo and also owned a small business that was not doing well.
Once they arrived at the cinema, the man began to make overt sexual gestures towards her. Then he locked the doors, choked her and tried to remove her shorts. She screamed and fought back, which caught the attention of a Good Samaritan. The suspect fled the parking lot on foot.
“The actions of the Good Samaritan caused the suspect to stop, run from the car and he was last seen running in the direction of the Island Highway,” says Constable Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.
The woman drove home and after consulting with her family, called RCMP.
The suspect is described as white, 25-30 years old, approximately 5’10” with short brown hair. He was wearing dress pants, a white dress shirt, pink tie and a ball cap. There was a white emblem on the front of the cap. Police say the victim was extremely upset and remembers little about the Good Samaritan who assisted her, other than he was older white male.
Police hope the Good Samaritan will come forward and help solve the case.
“Investigators are hopeful the Good Samaritan will be identified and can assist investigators with providing further details about the assault and the suspect male,” says Constable Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.
Anyone with information is asked to call Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or go online at www.nanaimocrimestoppers.com
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