Woman groped by stranger in Burnaby’s Central Park, police say

RCMP are searching for a man accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Burnaby's Central Park.

A woman walking in Burnaby’s Central Park was sexually assaulted by a male stranger Wednesday evening, according to authorities.

Mounties received a report just before 7:30 p.m. that a woman had been groped near the 5900 block of Patterson Avenue, the Burnaby RCMP said in a statement Thursday.

“The victim had been walking alone on the trails, when a man approached her, touching her chest and vaginal area. After the incident, the suspect ran away to another area of the park,” the statement from the detachment said.

“The victim and suspect are not known to each other.”

The woman was not physically injured, police added.

Foot and bike patrols on trails in the popular park are being ramped up in response, according to the statement.

“Our investigative teams are actively working to identify the suspect in this incident,” said Supt. Sunny Parmar, with the Burnaby RCMP.

“Public safety remains our priority.”

The suspect is described as a white man between 35 and 45 years old, with a slim build standing 5’6” tall. He has brown eyes and no facial hair and was wearing a white hoodie, black shorts and a “multicoloured windbreaker” when the alleged assault occurred, police said.