Vancouver woman assaulted after getting into vehicle she thought was cab

VANCOUVER – A 25-year-old Vancouver woman is recovering from a severe beating and sexual assault in a vehicle that she thought was a cab.

Const. Brian Montague says the woman believed she’d hailed a taxi for a ride home from the city’s Gastown district at about 2:30 a.m. on Saturday.

He says the woman was driven to east Vancouver, where she was physically and sexually assaulted in a dark-coloured mini van with sliding doors on both sides.

Montague says the victim, who is extremely traumatized, managed to break free and run to a passerby for help.

Police are appealing to the public in identifying a suspect matching the description of a 35- to 39-year-old overweight aboriginal man with a shaved head.

Montague says the man may own or have access to the mini van that was mistaken for a taxi.