A teen from Maple Ridge is warning others about a man who stalked her on her way home from school a week ago.
In a post on Facebook, the teen said she was followed by a man in a black GMC 4×4 truck on April 30 around 4:30 p.m.
The middle-aged man tried to talk to the 15-year-old, stared at her and kept pace in his truck as she walked along 232nd Street. He continued to tail her even when she tried to detour down a side street and cross the road.
“I was so frightened that I totally did not think of the licence plate, even though that is the most important thing,” she wrote.
The girl eventually sought help from a senior who witnessed the man following her.
As she was dialing police, the teen said the man in the truck threatened the senior who was helping her, saying he would simply tell police he thought the teen was his daughter.
“Thankfully that old man stayed with me till that man finally decided to leave,” wrote the teen.
The senior accompanied the girl until she reached a Shell gas station and went inside to report the incident to police as her cell phone was nearly dead.
Ridge Meadows RCMP did not issue a public warning until media inquired about the incident on Tuesday.
“The teen did the right thing by ensuring she was safe, asking the passerby for help, and calling police immediately,” said Cpl. Alanna Dunlop.
“Unfortunately we were not able to locate the suspect vehicle. We take these types of reports very seriously and follow up on any information victims or witnesses are able to provide, such as licence plates, vehicle description, and description of any people involved.”
RCMP say it is too early to say there have been other incidents reported with a similar suspect and vehicle description.
Last year, two women were sexually assault on trails near Albion, prompting Ridge Meadows RCMP to increase patrols in the neighbourhood. In both incidents, the suspect had covered his face.
The man who stalked the teen on April 30 is described as a light-skinned man in his 40s or 50s, with short black hair and a bit of facial hair. He was wearing sun glasses and driving a black 4×4 truck, believed to be a GMC.
