A young woman was attacked last night in her home by a teen male in what police describe as a random assault.
A 16-year-old Saanich male was arrested not far from the scene after a woman in her late 20s reported to police that man unknown to her broke into her home and sexually assaulted her.
Officers responded to the home in 4000-block of Borden Street at about 3:15 a.m. Thursday morning after a 9-1-1 call was disconnected. Police say it’s likely the woman called 9-1-1 when the teen broke in, but dropped the phone during the assault.
But she managed to fight off the 16-year-old and he ran off as police arrived.
“We know this young man forced his way into the house and proceeded to assault (the victim),” said Sgt. Dean Jantzen with Saanich police. “She valiantly fought off her attacker to her credit.”
Police dogs couldn’t locate the suspect, but Saanich police detectives and the forensic officers pieced together evidence left at the scene to quickly zero in on the teenager. Police aren’t saying what that evidence is.
He was arrested without incident last night, but it’s unclear if the suspect was found on the street or at a residence in the same neighbourhood. The woman although shaken, wasn’t physically injured and didn’t have to go to the hospital.
Jantzen said detectives haven’t established any connection between the teen and the victim. It’s unclear if the incident was a break-in that turned into an attempted sexual assault, or if the teen had intentionally targeted the woman.
“We are proceeding on the premise that it was a sexual assault thwarted by the victim. It appears to investigators it was definitely a sexual-type attack,” Jantzen said.
“We certainly don’t see this every day. It’s very unusual. Usually there is some connection between people. This appears entirely random. This is quite disturbing.”
The suspect is in custody and is due in youth court Friday morning to face charges of break and enter and sexual assault.
editor@saanichnews.com
