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An alleged aggressive panhandling incident has West Vancouver police on guard.
Investigators say a man in his 50s demanded money from 12-year-old girl Tuesday at a footbridge on Esquimalt Avenue.
The suspect asked the child if she spoke English, then approached her grabbed her by the neck and spun her around.
The adolescent victim said a black woman with blonde hair came to her aid and told the suspect to let the child go.
The girl fled the scene but the man followed her home.
The man then banged on the front door of the girl’s home demanding money, according to the victim.
The girl phoned family who then called police.
A one-hour delay between the incident and the call to police prevented officers from finding the suspect.
Investigators are looking for the woman who helped the girl escape her male attacker.
The girl spoke to two other women in the area of the offence who police are interested in speaking with.
The suspect is described as a man in his 50s with white hair and green eyes. He was wearing a New York Yankees jacket, blue jeans and a blue plastic wrist-band on his left arm, which looked like a hospital bracelet.