Police are looking for a suspect after a scary incident last week for a woman who went into a Kamloops gas station to use the bathroom.

Kamloops RCMP say a man hid in the backseat of the woman’s minivan before yelling and grabbing her as she went to drive off.

Const. Crystal Evelyn says that happened on July 31 at about 6 a.m., at the Sahali Esso in the 900-block of Columbia Street West.

Evelyn says the woman was there to put gas in her grey Dodge Caravan. She says the woman went inside the store to use the bathroom and had left her van unlocked with her purse inside.

The woman got back into her van and started to drive off, when a man apparently jumped up from the back seat and yelled and grabbed her. Evelyn says the driver slammed the brakes and the man fled the scene.

Cash had also apparently been stolen from the woman’s purse.

Mounties are now looking for a suspect, who was caught on the store’s surveillance. He’s described as being white and skinny, and between 25 and 40 years old. Police say he was wearing a black ballcap, with stripes on the right side of it and a white logo on the front, as well as blue jeans, grey shoes with black laces, a green jacket and a black face mask. He also has a black shoulder bag.

Anyone with information is being asked to call police at 250-828-3000, and reference file number 2021-26303.