Police at the University of British Columbia say a sexual assault that took place on the campus Friday night may have been committed by a night prowler, who has been reported lurking in female shower rooms and residences in recent days.
The suspect attacked a 20-year-old female student at roughly 10 p.m. Friday in the 3200-block of Wesbrook Mall.
The victim was walking alone when the man emerged from a wooded area and grabbed her from behind. He proceeded to shake her violently and force her to the ground, rubbing his midsection against her back in a sexual manner, according to University RCMP.
The woman fought off her attacker - who fled - and called 911. She was treated for minor bruising to the side of her head.
UBC RCMP Sgt. Drew Grainger called the incident “unsettling” and said the victim was “shaken up.”
Police describe the suspect as “darker skinned,” in his mid-to-late 20s. He is approximately 5’10”, with a slender build, and was wearing dark clothing and smelled of tobacco at the time of the attack.
Since Wednesday, March 23, students have reported seeing a man of a similar description on lurking in dorm areas that typically require a key card to access. Five different instances have been reported, including one where the man was spotted in a shower area. All of the incidents took place in the female residences at Vanier Place and Totem.
None of these incidents have involved a sexual offense, police said, and in each case, the man has fled as soon as residents noticed him.
First year students Jasmine Kibaida and Aya Abdulhadi live in one of the dorms where the suspicious incidents have taken place. They said the suspect knocked on their door earlier in the week.
“We asked who is it and he never responded,” Kibaida said. “When we opened the door, he wasn’t there, but the girl who lives in the room right next to us said that he tried to open her door and then realized that she was inside, so he closed it.”
Abdulhadi said police officers have been stationed in their dorm overnight to try to keep students feeling safe.
The university sent a mass email to all students in the dorm where the first lurking incident took place, urging them to lock their doors and to make sure no one follows them into secure buildings, said Louise Cowin, UBC’s vice president of students.
“We’ve also increased the number of campus security officers on patrol, and then number of patrols, so we’ve got more boots on the ground and more clusters of patrols, particularly around residences,” Cowin said.
UBC RCMP and campus security are investigating these incidents. Anyone with information that could help identify the suspect is asked to contact UBC RCMP at 604-224-1322 or call Crimestoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
