Suspect in New Westminster stranger assault arrested, charged
Photos provided by the New Westminster Police Department show the suspect in an alleged assault that occurred on Sept. 12, 2022.
Police in New Westminster say a tip from a member of the public helped them identify and arrest the suspect in an unprovoked assault that happened in broad daylight last week.
The incident took place around noon on Sept. 12 near the 22nd Street SkyTrain Station. At the time, police said the suspect had made sexualized comments about a woman he didn't know, then "assaulted her, knocked her to the ground and kicked her." Police also alleged that he threatened her with "an item believed to be a knife."
New Westminster police released photos of the suspect on Sept. 14, asking anyone who recognized him to come forward.
On Thursday, police announced that charges of assault and sexual assault had been approved against 31-year-old Surrey resident Mounib Bouazza.
“We’d like to express our gratitude to the person who saw our appeal for assistance, recognized the suspect, and reached out to us,” said Sgt. Justine Thom in a news release from the New Westminster Police Department.
“Thanks to your help and the support of our partnering agencies we were able to arrest and charge this individual.”
Anyone who witnessed the incident and hasn't yet spoken to police is asked to call the NWPD at 604-525-5411 and reference file number 22-13838, police said.
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