Vancouver police are turning to the public for help in their investigation of a brazen daytime assault that happened at a South Vancouver school playground.
On Dec. 5, a six-year-old girl was allegedly lured from playground at Sexsmith elementary on Columbia and West 59th Avenue by a stranger.
The young girl was then taken to a nearby location where she was assaulted, before the suspect walked her back to the school.
The suspect is described as a darker-skinned man, approximately 30 years old, with brown or grey hair. He was wearing grey pants.
“We take this very seriously,” VPD Const. Jason Doucette told reporters Wednesday morning. “This is a priority for us. This is a vulnerable member of society. This is a six year old child. We need to solve this.”
The VPD is appealing to anyone in the area during the hours between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 5 to come forward. Police are looking for both dashcam footage and witnesses.
The specific area of interest is West 58th Avenue along the north, West 60th Avenue at the south, Ontario Street to the east and Cambie Street at the west.
Doucette said the assault appears to be isolated and not related to any other active investigations. The suspect and victim did not know one another.
“She is safe at this point,” Doucette said. “She is continuing to receive support from the police and the Vancouver school board.”
It’s unknown if the school or surrounding area is equipped with security cameras. No timeline was provided around how long the child was missing from the school.
“There is supervision onsite,” a school district spokesperson told the Courier via email. “School staff are actively sharing safety messages with students and families and are working with the VPD to ensure a safe environment. We urge anyone with information to contact the VPD.”
Anyone who may have been in the area on last Wednesday afternoon and saw anything suspicious, is asked to call detectives in VPD’s Sex Crimes Unit at 604-717-0603 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
- with files from Vancouver is Awesome
