A 43-year-old Abbotsford man has been charged with sexual assault and committing an indecent act following an incident on Saturday.
On that day just before 2 p.m., an 18-year-old female contacted the Abbotsford Police Department to report that she had been waiting at a bus stop in the 2400 block of Montrose Avenue – in front of Abbotsford Community Services – when she was grabbed by a man.
Const. Ian MacDonald said the man wrapped his arms around the victim from the front and wouldn’t let go.
MacDonald said the victim was able to free herself, and the man then moved a short distance away and appeared to be exposing and touching himself.
Patrol officers interviewed the victim and a witness, and located and arrested a man matching the description still in the area.
Amrik Singh Kular has since been charged.
MacDonald said police are investigating whether Kular is connected to a similar assault that took place on Monday, July 14 in a parking lot in the 31700 block of Peardonville Road.
In that incident, an 18-year-old woman was working outside when she was grabbed by a man who wrapped his arm around her body.
She was able to break free and call police.
The suspect in that case was described as South Asian, 40 to 50 years old, 5′ 7″, clean-shaven with short black hair, a large nose and a heavy build with a large belly.
Police released a composite sketch of that man.
MacDonald said the suspect description and his actions are similar to the attack on Saturday, but investigators have not yet been able to definitively conclude that it is the same man.
Kular has been released from custody on $1,500 bail and is next scheduled to appear Aug. 18 in Abbotsford provincial court.
According to the provincial court database, he has one prior conviction, which occurred in 2009 for impaired driving. He was sentenced to two years’ probation and an 18-month driving ban.
