Friday, February 6, 2026
ADVT 
National

Vancouver police say woman assaulted on busy beach by man claiming to be masseuse

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 17 May, 2023 09:44 AM
  • Vancouver police say woman assaulted on busy beach by man claiming to be masseuse

UPDATED STORY: 

Vancouver police say a suspect was arrested and they're continuing to investigate after a woman was sexually assaulted by a man claiming to be a massage therapist on a busy downtown beach last weekend.

Police say the woman in her 40s was sunbathing at English Bay beach Sunday evening when a man approached her and began touching her before allegedly sexually assaulting her and walking away.

They say the woman called 9-1-1 and gave a description of the suspect, and a man was arrested after officers searched the area.

Investigators say charges have not yet been approved, but they believe the suspect -- a South Asian man in his 30s -- interacted with others at the beach over the weekend and police want to speak with people who may have seen him

EARLIER STORY: 

The Vancouver Police Department says a woman was sexually assaulted on a busy beach on Sunday by a man claiming to be a massage therapist. 

Police say in a news release the woman in her 40s was sunbathing at English Bay on Sunday evening when a man approached her and began touching her before allegedly sexually assaulting her and walking away.

Officers say the woman called 911 and gave a description of the suspect and a man was arrested after a search of the area by officers. 

Charges have not yet been approved by Crown prosecutors but investigators say they believe the suspect in his 30s interacted with others at the beach over the weekend and they want to speak with people who saw him massaging others at the beach. 

The VPD says the suspect is a South Asian man with a medium build and was wearing a black hat, sunglasses, beige cargo shorts, and a white and blue striped shirt at the time of the alleged assault.

Police say they can't name the suspect or release his picture as the investigation continues. 

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Ozempic loophole may trap other drugs: pharmacists

Ozempic loophole may trap other drugs: pharmacists
Canadian Pharmacists Association vice-president of public affairs Joelle Walker said Americans buying cheaper Canadian drugs is nothing new. One of the main challenges, Walker said, is that there isn't a strong sense of the prevalence of mass U.S. buying of Canadian prescription drugs because the data isn't available.

Ozempic loophole may trap other drugs: pharmacists

Class-action lawsuit filed in fatal Vancouver fire

Class-action lawsuit filed in fatal Vancouver fire
The owner of the 110-year-old building and its non-profit manager had failed to ensure fire safety measures were adequate and up-to-date, the lawsuit says, and the city did not enforce safety regulations to the same standards it did elsewhere.

Class-action lawsuit filed in fatal Vancouver fire

Charities struggle with burnout, funding: report

Charities struggle with burnout, funding: report
The report found 57 per cent of respondents said they could not keep up with increasing need for help, 40 per cent reported higher levels of demand than before the pandemic and 22 per cent said demand “significantly exceeds” capacity.

Charities struggle with burnout, funding: report

CEO, board of Trudeau Foundation resign

CEO, board of Trudeau Foundation resign
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he stepped back from the Trudeau Foundation years ago. The charity has previously said his formal involvement ended in 2014, about a year after he was elected Liberal leader.

CEO, board of Trudeau Foundation resign

RCMP 911 operators' union wants recruitment plan

RCMP 911 operators' union wants recruitment plan
The RCMP has been struggling to fill its vacancies for years, with more-recent hiring and training efforts also hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The force has said it hopes to boost the amount of diversity in its ranks by hiring more women, visible minorities and Indigenous people.

RCMP 911 operators' union wants recruitment plan

32 year RCMP officer, Cst. Harvinder Singh Dhami killed in overnight crash

32 year RCMP officer, Cst. Harvinder Singh Dhami killed in overnight crash
Despite efforts of emergency responders and the civilians present, Cst. Harvinder Singh Dhami succumbed to his injuries. This tragic incident is still under investigation, more information may be provided when available.

32 year RCMP officer, Cst. Harvinder Singh Dhami killed in overnight crash