Alleged groper in custody after string of incidents, Vancouver police say

The Vancouver Police Department says it has arrested a 25-year-old man suspected of a series of sexual assaults in the city's downtown core.

The VPD released images of the suspect Tuesday, saying four women had reported being sexually assaulted while walking near BC Place and Rogers Arena between April 27 and 29, and that the same man was suspected of all four incidents.

In an update Wednesday, police said they had arrested a suspect that morning at a home in East Vancouver "following a tip from the public."

The suspect remained in custody Wednesday, the VPD said.

Police gave more detailed accounts of the incidents in their initial statement Tuesday, saying the first two incidents happened on April 27 and involved women who were groped by a stranger while they were out walking.

One victim reported the incident happened around 9 p.m. near Pender and Abbott streets, while the next victim said she was assaulted minutes later near Georgia and Beatty streets.

“Both victims called VPD right away,” police said in the statement.

The next victims were targeted two days later, with one woman reporting she was standing near Georgia and Beatty streets when she was groped by a stranger around 9:15 p.m. on April 29.

Two hours later, police said, another woman was sexually assaulted near Georgia and Hamilton streets.

All of the victims were women between the ages of 25 and 40, police said.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Becca Clarkson