A Squamish woman spent several terrifying hours trapped in a recycle bin Sunday after two youths attacked her.
According to Squamish RCMP, the 44-year-old woman was coming to the rescue of another man when the assault happened at around 3:30 a.m. at the Canadian Tire store in Garibaldi Highlands.
“She was out riding her bike and did a Good Samaritan act by stopping these thugs from harassing this person who was at the recycling bin, and whom we assume was searching for clothes,” said Squamish RCMP Cpl. Dave Ritchie, adding that the victim does not want to be identified.
“As they turned and focused their anger on her he ran away, as I’m sure he was scared from what had gone previous to himself.
“They grabbed her by the arms and pushed her in the outlet and they tipped the bin over and unbeknownst, maybe to them, the outlet was now face down and she had no way of (escape).
“I’ve no doubt it was a very traumatic.”
Squamish Mayor Ian Sutherland was shocked at the behaviour.
“It is mind-boggling to do that to a defenseless woman after she had reached out to help someone else,” he said.
“They should be treated like the punks they are and sent to jail. There is a tiny percentage of that age group that are goons here but they are not representative of the people of Squamish.”
Ritchie said the police were out looking for the suspects as other reports had come in of vandalism that night carried out by two youths matching the descriptions of those who attacked the woman.
“We are pretty certain they were responsible for other acts in the area and we were patrolling,” said Ritchie.
“We had reports of similar males basically intoxicated and/or intoxicated and on drugs kicking some fence pickets in and so on.”
It’s believed they also threw rocks and a shopping cart onto Highway 99, and threw rocks at a parked car near the Boston Pizza.
The woman was trapped in the bin for about six hours until an early Canadian Tire shopper saw the bin move and went to investigate, then called for help when it became clear someone was trapped inside.
The victim suffered from mild hypothermia and a deep cut to her knee.
Police are asking for help in identifying the two youths involved.
They are described as a 16 to 20 years old, one
wearing jeans a white hooded jacket and with short dark hair.
The other male was wearing brown
corduroy pants a white T-shirt and had medium to long blond curly hair and may
have been wearing a black hooded jacket. Both males were wearing running shoes.
Anyone with information on the
identity of these two suspects is asked to contact Squamish RCMP at
604-892-6100 or report anonymously to CRIMESTOPPERS at 1-800-222-8477.
Squamish RCMP would also ask that the person who was being harassed and taunted near the recycle bin contact the detachment.
