Richmond RCMP are hoping a flurry of tips from the public is going to lead to the arrest of a man suspected of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in the grounds of her high school.
Since the Mounties appealed for help in tracking down the man in his 40s — who allegedly groped and flashed at a young girl as she walked into Palmer secondary on Tuesday morning — they have received a large number of tips from the public, many of whom said they’ve seen a man fitting the description given by the victim.
The suspect, described as Caucasian, 5` 7” – 5` 8” tall, medium build, long dark beard with moustache, possibly red or brown in colour, bushy eyebrows and dark hair, allegedly attacked the girl at the school on St. Alban’s Road near Blundell at around 7:40 a.m. on Tuesday.
At the time of the alleged offence, he was wearing dark pants, a grey/dark hoodie, and a beanie-style toque. A light blue, older model, sedan may also be associated with the suspect.
“This has, understandably, captured the attention of a lot of people; we’ve been getting more tips in all the time,” said Richmond RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Dennis Hwang.
“It’s mostly been with regard to the person’s description; many seem to think they’ve seen this guy around.
“And the tips have been coming in from all sorts of people, of all ages. It seems like everyone wants to help, which is great.”
Hwang said it was too early to say whether the information received from the public is going to lead to an early arrest.
“We have to take every one of these tips seriously, so we’ll be working our way through every lead for sure,” he added.
Since the incident on Tuesday, the RCMP has been out in force, attempting to visit every school in the district to reassure students of their safety while keeping them alert to the dangers.
“We have school liaison officers and regular (RCMP) members out there,” said Hwang. “Until we actually arrest somebody, I would ask the public to remain vigilant.”
If you have any information on this crime, contact Const. Jason Pickering at 604-278-1212. To leave a tip on this crime, email [email protected] or to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Police said earlier this week that girl in question was shaken up, but otherwise unharmed. She has been offered counselling. Her age and grade is not being released in a bid to protect her identity.
