News: Young Female Assaulted in Early Hours

Police issued warnings Wednesday about an early morning sexual assault.

The attack occurred around 2:30 a.m. in a back lane of the 1500 block of East Fifth Ave., west of Commercial Drive.

The 13-year-old victim was travelling on the No. 20 city bus — which goes between West Hastings downtown and Victoria Drive to Southeast Marine Drive — when a man boarded and sat down beside her. Police say the man threatened her with a weapon and directed her to get off the bus.

The man then led the girl to an alley behind some apartment buildings, where he sexually assaulted her before walking away. The girl reported the incident to a family friend who called 911.

The suspect is described as a 20-to-25-year-old, clean-shaven man with light or medium-coloured skin, and short black hair. He was wearing a white tank top and blue jeans.

Police weren’t commenting Wednesday on whether the attack may be linked to a series of earlier sex assaults on young girls in the Metro region.

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