North Vancouver senior pepper-sprayed during Facebook Marketplace meet-up, police say
The RCMP logo is pictured on a police cruiser. (File photo)
Mounties in North Vancouver are trying to track down a suspect accused of pepper-spraying a senior during an attempted robbery in the middle of the afternoon.
On Jan. 24, at around 1 p.m., an "elderly woman" who was selling her phone on Facebook Marketplace arranged to meet a prospective buyer at Victoria Park, according to a statement from the North Vancouver RCMP.
"During the exchange, the suspect pepper sprayed the victim and attempted to take her phone. The suspect was unsuccessful, and fled without the phone west from the park," writes spokesperson Const. Mansoor Sahak.
"Officers immediately flooded the area in an effort to locate the suspect, but were unsuccessful."
The suspect is described by authorities as a white man between 22 and 25 years old, with a slim build, a clean-shaven face and with a "narrow nose." He was wearing a long, yellow rain coat with a hood, black pants, and was carrying a black backpack.
Anyone with information is urged to call the North Vancouver RCMP.
Sahak is also reminding people that there is a "safe zone" at the detachment where people can arrange to meet in-person to complete transactions arranged online.
The address is 147 E 14th St.
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