VPD release surveillance video of van linked to violent sex assault

Vancouver police are hoping somebody will recognize the van in this CCTV footage, which is linked to a horrific sexual assault that took place in East Vancouver last Saturday. Sat., Oct. 19, 2013. (Handout)

Vancouver police have released surveillance video of a suspect vehicle that may have been involved in a horrific sexual assault in East Vancouver last weekend.

At around 2 a.m. last Saturday, a 25-year-old woman who thought she was getting into a taxi was instead driven away, severely beaten and then raped, police said.

Police have not yet located a suspect, but on Saturday they released a video captured on CCTV camera that could put them one step closer to an arrest.

The video, seen below, shows what appears to be an older model dark minivan with sliding doors on both sides – similar to the vehicle description police issued at the time of the assault.

The North Vancouver woman was in the 100-block of Water Street in Vancouver’s popular Gastown district. At around 2 a.m. she hailed a vehicle similar to a handicap taxi van.

She got inside and realized it wasn’t a cab, but it was too late. The driver took her to an undisclosed area in East Vancouver where the sexual assault took place.

The victim eventually fought off her attacker and ran for help. She found a passerby who helped her by calling 911.

The woman has since been released from hospital following treatment for her injuries.

Police described the suspect as an aboriginal male in his mid-to-late 30s, about six feet tall and 225 pounds or heavier with a large belly and shaved head.

Anyone with information about the van or the attacker is asked to call the VPD’s sex crimes unit at 604-717-0602 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.