Man arrested within 1 hour of victim reporting stranger sex assault in Burnaby, RCMP say

The RCMP logo is seen in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, March 16, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

A 32-year-old man was arrested less than an hour after a victim alleged she had been sexually assaulted by a stranger in Burnaby last week, according to Mounties.

Burnaby RCMP said officers were notified of the incident shortly after 8 a.m. on Friday in the 5500 block of Lane Street near Elgin Avenue.

“The victim reported that a man approached her from behind and grabbed her buttocks before running away,” Mounties said in a news release on Thursday.

RCMP said with assistance from the Metrotown security team, officers were able to track down the suspect and arrest him in less than an hour after the assault was reported.

“This type of crime can be traumatizing. The victim in this case gave police every advantage in locating the suspect with her quick response and call to 911,” said Insp. Sushile Sharma. “Metrotown security, as always, was ready to assist when we needed them.”

Mounties said the investigation is ongoing.