Vancouver woman followed several blocks, forced to hide in store from stranger
A scary moment for a Vancouver woman has left her shaken and questioning her safety after a strange man followed her for some time over the weekend and refused to leave her alone until someone else intervened.
We have agreed to keep her name anonymous.
The woman says she noticed someone behind her when she was walking downtown on Seymour Street around 1:30 pm on Sunday, October 23.
She was in a hurry to get to work so she sped up, and found it unusual the man seemed to speed up as well. When she pretended to tie her shoe, he stopped, and when she began walking again, he had to jog to keep up with her.
This continued for several blocks until she practically ran into a clothing store to hide from him.
“I went into Oak + Fort [on Granville Street near Robson Street] and I could see him standing outside. I told the staff working what was happening and they called the Vancouver Safety Ambassadors. I thought he would eventually give up and leave but he didn’t. He was pacing in front of the store and one of the girls suggested I go wait upstairs. When I was waiting upstairs I saw him trying to enter the store,” she said.
“There was a male employee that apparently has experience working as a security guard and he followed him inside and up the stairs. When he came up I walked around a table of clothes and ran back down the stairs and another employee brought me into their back inventory room,” she said.
That’s where she was able to snap a photo from the surveillance video.
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Describing his behaviour as “creepy,” she decided to call non-emergency and report it to the police.
Since then, she has been left feeling shaken.
“I do feel nervous walking alone now, especially early in the morning when I walk to work. I’ve been avoiding the area and walking through Yaletown as it’s usually busier,” she told Daily Hive.
She says she was comforted by the response from Vancouver police officers following her report.
“They came by to speak with me in person and within a couple [of] hours had identified him. It’s frustrating he’s still out walking the streets and will potentially do this again to someone else, though,” she said.
“I think it’s alarming that this occurred within a week of being released from prison after being convicted of assault, and it’s documented that he has a history of mental health problems and violence,” she alleged.
Daily Hive was unable to confirm the identity of the suspect or the allegations that they were a repeat offender.
She adds that she feels it’s important to be aware of your surroundings, even in the middle of the day.
The Vancouver Police Department was unable to provide more details for privacy concerns but confirmed that an investigation is underway into an incident where a woman was followed on Sunday and that the woman acted calmly and rationally.
“We commend her for doing so. In a time of stress, making a quick decision like that isn’t always easy,” Const. Tania Visintin said in a response to Daily Hive.