Richmond woman flees to elementary school after escaping an assault

An elementary school in Richmond entered hold and secure protocol yesterday, after a woman who allegedly escaped an assault took refuge there.

The incident began around 8:30 am on Wednesday, May 30.

A good Samaritan who was driving in the west end of Williams Road was approached by what RCMP describe as a “distraught young woman.”

The woman explained to the driver that she had been assaulted and was able to escape her captor. She was then transported by vehicle to Dixon Elementary school, where she contacted, then met Richmond RCMP.

According to police, the woman was already believed to be fleeing towards the school in order to use it as a landmark to contact the authorities.

At approximately 1 pm, Richmond RCMP investigated the location where the woman was allegedly held – a residence in the 3000 block of Jesmond Avenue.

Police were armed and secured the home and the surrounding area.

After several hours of negotiation with a lone male at the residence, RCMP were able to negotiate for the male to surrender peacefully. No injuries or fatalities were noted.

The 42-year-old male was a local resident and has been taken into custody.

To safeguard the staff and students at Dixon Elementary School, a brief hold and secure protocol was put into effect from 2 to 4 pm.

Richmond RCMP comment that such precautions take place whenever an incident occurs near a school. The incident doesn’t need to take place at the school, even if nearby the protocol is put into effect to ensure the safety of the staff, students, and parents.

An investigation is still on-going with officers examining and securing the residence.

The suspect will stand before a judge on Thursday, May 31.

Update: The BC Prosecution service has approved of seven charges.

As of 12 pm on May 31, 2018, the Cheng Ian Huang has been charged with:

One count of kidnapping
One count of assault
One count of assault with a weapon
One count of possession of a firearm without a permit
One count of sexual assault using a taser
One count of impersonating a police officer
One count of uttering threats

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