A young woman, who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault, is being commended for her quick thinking and credited with helping catch the suspect.
The assault is alleged to have happened around 4 p.m. on May 23.
The young woman boarded the SkyTrain at King George Station in Surrey and sat next to a window.
A man boarded the train at Surrey Central Station and, although the train car was almost empty, sat down beside the woman. He allegedly placed his hand on the woman’s bare thigh and although she tried to move away and pushed at his arm, he continued to touch her for the duration of the trip to Burrard Station, which took over 30 minutes.
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The young woman texted her mother, but was too afraid of the man to do anything else.
However, she got off the train at Burrard Station along with the suspect and followed him out of the station, while on the phone with Transit Police. She then saw him board a bus southbound on Burrard.
The information allowed Transit Police officers to arrest the man on the bus at Arbutus Street and Cornwall Avenue.
The suspect is a 60-year-old Surrey man, previously known to police. He was released from custody and will appear in court in August. He is not to have any contact with the victim and not to be on SkyTrain or Canada Line property.
Transit Police say the actions of the young woman resulted in the quick arrest of the suspect.
They say the immediate reporting of sexual assaults by the victims allows officers to react quickly and arrest the suspects. They are encouraging anyone who is a victim or witness to this type of behaviour to contact Transit Police immediately.
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