North Vancouver RCMP are throwing resources into their investigation of a sexual assault on a North Vancouver senior in her mid-80s.
Sometime during the early morning Sunday, a lone male broke into the home in the lower Ridgeway neighbourhood and assaulted the woman.
The victim has been released from hospital and is staying with family, but the brutal nature of the assault means police must be patient when interviewing the woman.
“Victim Services have spoken to her. Our investigators have spoken to her again today trying to get more information as far as the timeline as to what happened and, quite important, physical descriptors of this suspect,” De Jong said. “Nothing is being released at this point. The woman has been extremely traumatized, emotionally and physically, and is finding it hard to relive that moment. So we’re respecting that and trying to move forward with our forensic examination.”
The RCMP have also called in a crime analyst who has examined similar crimes across Canada in hopes of coming up with a suspect profile, De Jong said.
It is unclear how the suspect gained access to the residence, or if this was a targeted or random incident, De Jong said.
Meanwhile, De Jong said residents should remember to keep doors and windows secured, even during the warm summer months, to prevent crimes of opportunity.
Anyone with any information on this incident is asked to contact the North Vancouver RCMP at 604-985-1311 and quote file #2014-13605. Information can also be reported anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
