Charges laid after 'brazen' assault of woman on Coquitlam trail: RCMP

A man has been charged with assault with a weapon and assault by choking in relation to what police described as a "brazen" stranger attack on a woman on a Coquitlam trail earlier this month.
Mounties announced the charges Friday in a news release, identifying the accused as 32-year-old Pouria Sahragard. At the time of the alleged assault, he was on "court-ordered release conditions," according to the Coquitlam RCMP.
In addition to announcing the charges, police released Sahragard's photo, saying they "believe that there may be additional victims that have not spoken to police."
In an appeal for information and video issued the day after the Sept. 7 assault, the Coquitlam RCMP said the woman was allegedly attacked near the Hoy Creek Trail. A suspect who was "known to police" was arrested after the woman fought back and bystanders intervened, authorities said.
"We want to commend the victim who fought back against her attacker and the witnesses who came to her aid. The public’s quick response to this incident helped police locate the suspect swiftly and most likely prevented further injuries to the victim," the Sept. 8 news release said, adding that they found the suspect "hiding in a nearby store."
Sahragard remains in custody until his next court appearance which is scheduled for Sept. 28.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Two Canadian citizens confirmed dead in Antigua: Global Affairs
Global Affairs Canada has confirmed the death of two Canadian citizens in Antigua and Barbuda, news that comes amid reports from local officials that a woman and child drowned last week at Devil’s Bridge.
Senators were intimidated, had their privilege breached, Speaker rules
Any attempt to intimidate a senator while in the process of fulfilling their duties is a breach of their privilege, even if the effort is ultimately unsuccessful, the Speaker of the Senate ruled Tuesday.
Nearly 70 victim impact statements expected at Nathaniel Veltman sentencing
As the Crown and the defence discussed legal matters ahead of the sentencing hearing of Nathaniel Veltman, the court heard that 68 victim impact statements are expected to be submitted.
'Widespread' sexual and gender-based crimes committed during Hamas attack, Israeli officials say
Israeli officials say there were 'widespread' sexual and gender-based crimes committed by Hamas during its Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel.
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante collapses during press conference
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is 'doing well' but will reduce the pace of her activities over the next few days after collapsing during a press conference at City Hall on Tuesday morning.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Poilievre keeps scoring into the Liberals' empty net
In his column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says Pierre Poilievre's new 'Housing Hell' video dealt a 'devastating' blow to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberals, whose cupboard seems empty of big ideas.
Here is Canada's unseasonably mild December forecast
December is predicted to be unseasonably mild across Canada, thanks to a "moderate-to-strong" El Nino and human-caused warming. Warming and precipitation trends will be stronger in some parts of the country than others, and severe weather is still possible, meteorologists say.
Israel moves into Gaza's second-largest city and intensifies strikes in bloody new phase of the war
Israel said Tuesday that its troops had entered Gaza's second-largest city as intensified bombardment sent streams of ambulances and cars racing to hospitals with wounded and dead Palestinians, including children, in a bloody new phase of the war.
Canadian 15-year-old students' math scores have been dipping since 2003: study
Most 15-year-old students in Canada met the basic standards for math and the country was among the top 10 performers in the tests, though scores have been dropping since 2003, according to a new global report.