Kamloops RCMP seek suspect in assault that 'may have appeared as a hug'

Mounties in B.C.'s Interior are asking the public for help identifying a man suspected of an assault that "may have appeared as a hug." (Kamloops RCMP)

Update, March 20: Kamloops RCMP say they have identified the suspect in this case. The original story follows. 

Mounties in B.C.'s Interior are asking the public for help identifying a man suspected of an assault that "may have appeared as a hug."

The incident happened at a bus stop in Kamloops on March 5, according to a news release from Kamloops RCMP.

Police said they were notified around 3 p.m. that day that a female "youth" who was waiting for a bus on 6th Avenue had been assaulted earlier that afternoon. Asked to provide a more specific age for the victim, police told CTV News she is a teenager.

"The suspect allegedly assaulted the youth, boarded the bus and sat near her, then exited alone on Tranquille Road near Leigh Road," RCMP said in their release.

On Friday, Mounties released two photos of a suspect in the case, apparently recorded by a surveillance camera on the bus.

“Please take a close look at the image,” said Const. Crystal Evelyn, Kamloops RCMP spokesperson, in the release.

“If you are the suspect or recognize him, please contact police. It’s important we identify and speak with the person pictured in the footage to help further our investigation.”

Police described the suspect as a balding 40-year-old man with grey hair and "scarred, broken knuckles." He was wearing a short-sleeved button-up shirt, police said, and the images appear to show him wearing a black jacket over it. He is also wearing a light-blue disposable face mask.

Police ask anyone who has information related to the case to contact Kamloops RCMP at 250-828-3000 and reference file number 2022-7012.

Asked why police waited nearly two weeks to publish the photos of the suspect and solicit the public's help, Evelyn did not provide specifics, but suggested that the delay was necessary for investigators working on the case.

"There are different factors that impact the timeline in which we request the public’s assistance, including the steps required in an investigative process," she said in an email.