This story has been updated to correct an error in the location.
North Vancouver RMCP say a suspect is on the loose after a break-and-enter Monday night.
Police say a woman was in her home at an apartment building in the area of Third Street and St. Andrews Avenue around 6 p.m. when a man in a black balaclava let himself in through an unlocked ground-floor patio door.
The woman, alarmed by the intruder, screamed for help, alerting nearby neighbours, according to the RCMP. The suspect confronted the woman. In the struggle, she pulled off his mask, getting a look at his face. The man then fled.
“She’s shaken. She wasn’t physically harmed but certainly emotionally, she would have been traumatized by this,” said Cpl. Richard De Jong, North Vancouver RCMP spokesman.
On Thursday, police released a composite sketch of the suspect. The RCMP’s general duty and serious crime investigators are hoping someone from the public can help lead them to the suspect.
“This type of incident is disturbing to the community,” De Jong said. “Our investigators are working diligently on this file but need help from the public. If you recognize the person depicted in the composite drawing investigators want to hear from you.”
The man is described as being 30 to 35 years old with a medium build, standing 165 centimetres tall. The victim told police the man may have been Filipino. He was wearing dark pants and a blue windbreaker.
“Considering the time at which this crime occurred, we are optimistic that a member of the public may have seen something that will be of help in our investigation,” De Jong said.
Police aren’t sure why he targeted the home.
Break-ins of this sort are uncommon, De Jong said, and police recommend keeping windows and doors are locked.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the North Vancouver RCMP at 604-985-1311 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or go online to Solvecrime.ca.
