Man arrested after youth sexually assaulted in Saanich mall

Saanich police say a 26-year-old man has been arrested after he allegedly sexually assaulted a youth at Tillicum Centre on Wednesday.

The victim, a girl, said she was walking inside a store in the mall when she was approached by a man that she did not know around 4:30 p.m.

Police say the man started talking to the youth and asked for a hug before he sexually assaulted her.

The man then left the store, and immediately after the girl notified mall security about what had happened.

Police say mall security guards were able to locate the suspect in a different part of the mall and helped officers arrest him.

The man, 26-year-old Noel Pich, has since been charged with one count of sexual assault, according to Saanich police.

“The youth in this case was very courageous,” said Saanich police Const. Markus Anastasiades in a release Thursday.

“As she notified security immediately, police were able to identify and arrest this suspect and prevent him from committing further assaults,” he said.

The charge has not been proven in court.

SEE ALSO: Saanich police investigating sexual assault at UVic

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