Mounties in Sooke are asking the public for help identifying the alleged perpetrator of a sexual assault.
The incident occurred around 2 p.m. on Sept. 29 near the intersection of Phillips Road and Sunriver Way.
Sooke RCMP say a woman was walking on Sunriver Way when she noticed a man she did not recognize walking behind her. She lost sight of him, but later encountered him on a path by the Sooke River, where he brandished a weapon and sexually assaulted her, according to police.
The woman fought back, possibly injuring the suspect, and fled the area, police said.
Mounties describe the suspect as either a white man with a dark tan or a non-white man. He stands approximately 5' 10" and weighs between 180 and 200 pounds.
Police say the suspect had a dark, full beard, untidy dark hair, brown eyes and yellowing teeth. He was wearing a dark hoodie without drawstrings, dark blue jeans and running shoes.
Sooke RCMP are especially interested in any video surveillance that may have caught a person matching this description in the area.
Anyone with information related to the incident or the suspect is asked to contact Sooke RCMP at 250-642-5241.
