Woman foils sexual assault with umbrella
A woman was walking on Discovery Trail in Abbotsford, B.C., when a man tried to grab her
A 57-year-old woman foiled an attempted sexual assault in Abbotsford, B.C., when she struck at her attacker with an umbrella.
The woman was walking on Discovery Trail in the 3600 block of Clearbrook Road just before 5 p.m. PT on March 22. She had noticed a man walking ahead of her before he rounded a curve in the path and she lost sight of him.
The man, who had dropped his pants, then confronted the woman and tried to grab her. After fending him off with her umbrella, the victim ran to the safety of a nearby picnic area, police said in a statement released on Monday morning.
"He had his white pants pulled down to about mid-thigh and he lunged at her and attempted to grab her, said Const. Ian Macdonald of the Abbotsford Police Department.
"She very correctly and courageously then swung her umbrella at him, created some distance and began running," he said.
The suspect, who drove away in a white vehicle, is described as Caucasian, approximately 6’0” tall, in his late 30s and of slim build. He was wearing white pants and a black hoodie.
The vehicle was a white, four-door sedan with a license plate containing the numbers 784.
Police have issued a composite sketch of the suspect, and are warning people to use extra caution on trails and less-populated areas,and walk in pairs if possible.