Witnesses sought after mom, baby assaulted by stranger in Surrey
Police are asking witnesses to come forward weeks after a woman and her baby were allegedly attacked by a stranger in Surrey.
Authorities said the victims were waiting to cross 120 Street on the morning of Dec. 15 when an unknown man threatened and assaulted them.
The alleged victim, Sarah Squires, told CTV News she walked away with some minor bruising and her daughter, just 11 months old at the time, was unharmed.
However, Squires said she’s still feeling traumatized.
"It was horrible,” Squires said.
“Even to this day I'm not going for walks by myself, I'm scared to be by myself."
Cpl. Elenore Sturko told CTV News the one positive aspect of the otherwise disturbing incident is that Good Samaritans intervened and prevented a suspect from fleeing the area.
"They were able to stop this person from leaving so we could come and take them into custody," Sturko said. "You always want to hear that people still care, despite some of the stuff that's been going on recently… people did care about the mom and the kid."
Squires, who said she’s extremely grateful for those who intervened, hopes to see her alleged attacker brought to justice as soon as possible.
"I just don't want this to happen to anyone else, she said.
The suspect remains in custody more than a month after the attack. Sturko said police submitted a report to the B.C. Prosecution Service, but were asked to obtain statements from additional witnesses to bolster the case.
Authorities are not releasing details about the suspect's description, or the nature of the assault on the woman and child, to prevent contaminating the memories of potential witnesses, Sturko said.
"We want to be sure that we're getting 'pure version' witness statements so we're not releasing any details that a true witness would be able to tell us themselves," she added.
Surrey RCMP said the incident happened near 7474 120 Street at around 11:17 a.m. Anyone who was in the area at that time on Dec. 15, and who hasn't already provided a statement to police, has been asked to call the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.