Dozens of tips have streamed in to police following a chilling sexual assault in Saanich, but investigators are still searching for a significant lead.
Police say a man knocked on the door of a ground floor apartment near the University of Victoria Wednesday night and when two startled women answered, he sexually assaulted one or both of them.
The man then walked the victims to a nearby bank and forced them to withdraw cash, according to police. It’s unclear whether he had a weapon.
On Thursday, police shared surveillance footage of their prime suspect – a man seen putting the hood of his sweatshirt up while walking outside of the apartment building.
The footage was widely shared and resulted in a number of tips, but the women’s attacker is still on the loose.
“We have applied lots of resources to this, and again, we have an entire division of detectives who are working at nothing other than this,” said Saanich Police Sgt. Dean Janzen.
Police aren’t saying whether the incident is linked to a number of break-ins along the Shelbourne Street corridor near UVic.
There have been 14 cases in total since December, and police said two involved ground floor suites rented by young women.
There has also been reports of a man flashing young women and teen girls at bus stops along Shelbourne Street.
In another incident on Tuesday, a woman reported being followed and grabbed by a man near Mount Douglas High School.
The sexual assault took place the following night.
“We have not made a formal linkage as of yet, but we are ignoring nothing,” Janzen said.
The University of Victoria has plastered its campus with safety bulletins advising them of the assault, and the student society is encouraging peers to use all available options if they feel unsafe.
“If you look on the back of your student ID card, you’ll find campus security and the safe walk program, and you can just give them a call,” said UVSS spokesperson Kenya Rogers. “And also always remember if you’re hopping on a bus, and you’re not feeling comfortable about the walk that you have, you can talk to your bus driver and they’ll get you as close as possible to your front door.”
Saanich Police say as many as 25 officers are on the case canvassing the neighbourhood.
Bus drivers have also been advised to keep a lookout for the man seen in the video.
Shuttles were being organized to give students rides home after a basketball game on campus Friday night.
