Kamloops RCMP are looking for suspects in a pair of brazen daytime sexual assaults that were reported this week.
Spokesperson Const. Crystal Evelyn says the first assault happened on Monday, Nov. 22, in Sahali, while the second was yesterday, Nov. 25, in Aberdeen. At this time though, she says police don’t know if the two are connected.
“In both cases, the young women were approached from behind and sexually assaulted at a time of day when the community is generally quite busy,” Evelyn said, in a statement. “As part of the investigations, we are turning to the public to help identify a suspect or suspects in what are very concerning assaults.”
The Sahali incident happened around 3:30 p.m. Nov. 22, near the intersection of Summit and Notre Dame drives. The victim told police she was standing with her back to a fence when she was sexually assaulted from behind.
Evelyn says the suspect was last seen heading toward Columbia Square on Notre Dame Drive. He’s described as a man who was wearing a blue toque with ear flaps, a mask, blue jeans, and a blue jacket.
The Aberdeen incident happened around 5:35 p.m. yesterday, in the 2000-block of Dunrobin Place.
Evelyn says the suspect told police she had been walking up the stairs between Aberdeen Drive and Dunrobin Drive when she was approached from behind and sexually assaulted. The Police Dog team scoured the area but no suspect was found.
The suspect is described as a man between the age of 25 and 30 with a tanned complexion. He stood about five-foot-eight to five-foot-ten and had hair to below his ears. At the time, police say he was wearing a dark beanie and an “unknown red coloured item around his neck area.”
“If you saw or have any surveillance footage of a suspicious person in the area, particularly between 5:15 p.m. and 6 p.m. along Van Horne Drive or Aberdeen Drive, please connect with police as soon as possible,” Evelyn said.
“Fortunately, neither victim was physically injured as a result of the assaults, but these attacks can come with considerable emotional trauma.”
Anyone with information, dash cam footage, or surveillance is asked to call Kamloops RCMP at 250-828-3000 and reference file number 2021-40809 for the Sahali incident, or file number 2021-41183 for the Aberdeen incident.
