Authorities are investigating after a woman reported being sexually assaulted on a walking path in Burnaby, B.C., this week. The victim said the assault happened around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, while she was heading eastbound on the B.C. Parkway near Ron McLean Park. She reported that a stranger passed her and “hit her on the buttocks” before running away, Burnaby RCMP said in a news release. “The victim was not physically injured in the incident,” the detachment added. While the investigation is still in the early stages, Burnaby RCMP said investigators will be looking into whether there “any connections between this incident and any previous cases.” Last month, the detachment highlighted a similar sexual assault near Royal Oak Avenue and Beresford Street, an area approximately two kilometres down the B.C. Parkway from this week’s attack. Burnaby RCMP said the victim in that July 9 incident was walking when a stranger “grabbed her buttocks.” The assault happened after dark, around 11:30 p.m., and there was no suspect description available. Authorities said the suspect in Tuesday’s incident was described as approximately 5’5” tall with a medium build. He was wearing a white T-shirt and loose-fitting black shorts. While the investigation is ongoing, Burnaby RCMP recommended the public “remain vigilant and take appropriate safety precautions,” such as walking in a group and not wearing headphones while alone.
