Police are searching for a suspect following the caught-on-camera assault of a teenager on a Metro Vancouver transit bus.
The assault occurred last month, but police did not make details public until Thursday.
Officers with the Metro Vancouver Transit Police said in a statement that the 17-year-old victim was attacked while on a bus in Surrey on April 1.
She’d been sitting at the back of a Route 335 bus that afternoon. A man got on the bus and “began acting erratically” as he headed to the back, MVTP said.
He sat near the teen, but video released by police Thursday shows he didn’t remain seated.
As described by investigators, “The suspect continued to act more and more agitated, eventually standing up and blocking the teen into her seat. Then, without any provocation, he allegedly punched her in the head several times, causing her glasses to fly off her face.”
Video shows the attack, during which the man seems focused on the girl’s face and head.
“Despite the teen’s attempts to defend herself, when she bent over to pick up her glasses the suspectedly alleged used his knee to strike her in the head.”
Fortunately, she did not have any serious physical injuries.
Police said the man got off the bus at a stop near 152nd Street and 84th Avenue. He got off as the victim told the bus driver about the attack.
The girl called police when she got home, and an investigation began.
Police released video and a photo of the suspect weeks later, asking for help from the public to identify the man involved.
He’s described by officers as South Asian and between 30 and 40 years old, with a medium build and a bald head. He’s about 5’8″, police said, and was wearing a long, black winter jacket at the time, as well as light blue jeans and black Velcro running shoes.
Anyone with more information is asked to contact transit police at 604-515-8300.