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VANCOUVER – A third female student has been attacked at the University of British Columbia, and police say it’s the latest in a series of similar incidents that have become a top priority for investigators.

RCMP Sgt. Drew Grainger says that just after midnight Saturday, a 17-year-old student was walking alone to her residence at the Vancouver campus when a man suddenly emerged from a wooded area.

Grainger says the man placed his hands around the teen’s hips, tried to drag her into the woods and that she sustained a black eye when he punched her in the face.

He says the man also ripped at the girl’s clothes but that he ran off when she screamed for help.

Police say the suspect has been described as a tall, thin man in his late 20s to early 30s and that he possibly spoke with an American accent.

Last Sunday, a 20-year-old woman at UBC was assaulted as she returned to her apartment at about 3:30 a.m., and a 19-year woman fled after a man grabbed her from behind at 2:45 a.m. on Sept. 28.

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