Coquitlam RCMP are searching for a middle-aged man after he allegedly tried to grab an 11-year-old girl Sunday afternoon in Citadel Heights.
The girl was out walking the dog at about 4:30 p.m. Sunday in the Port Coquitlam subdivision when she noticed a white cargo van approaching. The driver stopped, got out and started walking towards her.
"Throughout this time, he was staring at her, which is really creepy, then he started running at her and she turned around and started running," said Cpl. Jamie Chung. "He attempted to grab her but she got away."
The girl didn't stop running until she got home and the suspect quickly fled, according to police.
"This is a frightening experience for anyone, especially someone who is 11 years old," said Chung. "She did everything right by running away in the opposite direction, she was also very observant despite [the fact] it was getting dark outside at the time."
The suspect is described as a Caucasian man in is late 30s, 5'11" tall and weighing 170 lb.; he has short, brown hair and blue eyes, and a scar above his right eye, a black lip ring on his lower lip and possibly a black tattoo on his left neck area. He was wearing a black American Eagle hoodie with the logo across the front chest area, black pants and black skater-style shoes.
He was driving a late 1990s white Ford cargo van with tinted front windows. The rear and back windows were covered with white paint and the van has some rusty spots above the tires. It also has a front licence plate that is partially painted over.
Chung said it's unusual, particularly for younger children, to provide such a detailed description.
"Children nowadays are more aware but, most times, kids being kids, they're not aware of their surroundings," he said. "But in this case, she was."
Police are investigating and hope to provide an artist's sketch of the suspect shortly.
School District 43 issued a bulletin to all schools about the incident, with a request to schools in the Citadel area to send the information home to parents.
Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call Coquitlam RCMP at 604-945-1550 and quote file number 2012-31053 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or visit www.solvecrime.ca.
