Saanich warned to stay vigilant after sex attacks

Three weeks later, suspect eludes police as Gordon Head ponders a course of action

Three weeks after a series of indecent acts and sexual assaults in Saanich’s Gordon Head area led to a public warning, police continue to investigate and seek input from the public.

“People should remain vigilant. … We’re still working very hard on the particular cases,” said Acting Sgt. Jereme Leslie of Saanich police. “We have officers from our major-crime section and others, as well, out of our detective division that are actively working on the case.”

Area residents continue to keep a careful watch, said Chris Poirier-Skelton, president of the Gordon Head Residents’ Association. The issue will be on the agenda Thursday when the association board meets to see if there is anything proactive that can be done about the situation.

“It’s disturbing when you think about not feeling safe in your own neighbourhood,” Poirier-Skelton said. “My hope is that this can get resolved so that people can feel safer when they’re out and about.”

The cluster of incidents saw five cases reported from July 4 to 7 in a small section of Gordon Head. Locations were Larchwood Drive/Blair Avenue, Lambrick Park, Mileva Lane, San Juan Avenue/ Majestic Drive and the parking lot at Mount Douglas Beach.

They involved first a man on a skateboard and then on a bicycle who exposed himself and twice touched women in a sexual manner. All the incidents were in the late afternoon or early evening.

The concentration of incidents in a short time frame and limited area sparked concern.

“We haven’t had any further incidents within that geographical location,” said Leslie. “Things have gone quiet on that front.”

The suspect is described as short, white with a darker complexion, between the ages of 20 and 30, and wearing a baseball cap, bandana or green bicycle helmet.

Through the work of the Saanich police crime analyst, it is believed that the early-July incidents and up to six others could be the work of one person. The others include a man grabbing a woman’s buttocks on June 27 near Quadra Street and Tattersall Drive and a man coming out of the bushes in Mount Douglas Park July 13 with his pants undone.

On July 17, a man followed a woman into a public washroom at Mount Douglas Beach and went into the stall beside her. He was then seen masturbating outside.

Saanich police ask anyone with information to call them at 250-475-4321. jwbell@timescolonist.com