Stranger confronts two women with a knife at a Vernon, B.C. park

What began as a late-night bike ride ended in a terrifying encounter for two women in Vernon, B.C., on Friday night.

Global News is not naming the women due to safety concerns.

The women were riding through Polson Park around 11 p.m. when they stopped briefly. That’s when they noticed a man step out from the shadows.

“It looked a little sketchy, so we trusted our gut and said, ‘We gotta go,’” one of the women told Global News.

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They turned to leave, but the situation quickly escalated.

“As soon as we started running, he started running toward us,” said the woman. “Before I knew it, he was on the other side of my bike, quite close to my face, with a knife. He was just uttering threats like, ‘I’m going to kill you,’ over and over again.”

The suspect continued to threaten them, even as one of the women pleaded for him to stop.

“She was saying, ‘No, please don’t, we’re leaving,’” her friend recalled. “He said, ‘I’m going to effing kill you — get out of here.’ I was frozen. Then, he just walked away.”

Shaken, the two women ran across the street and called 911. RCMP officers arrived just before midnight but were unable to locate the suspect.

Police describe the man as wearing black sweatpants, a black hoodie and a fanny pack.

The victims say they continue to feel afraid even after returning home that night.

“He had full intent to harm us and nothing else, I mean he could have robbed us blind,” said one woman.

Vernon RCMP are continuing to investigate and are asking anyone with information to reach out to them.