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Girl, 17, abducted from Maple Ridge & assaulted

RCMP say the young woman was forced to drive her car out of the mall and beaten by her abductor Saturday in Maple Ridge
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Police are looking for a man who kidnapped a woman from a Maple Ridge mall on Saturday and assaulted her.

The 17-year-old was standing outside her place of work in Westgate Centre when she was approached by a man on foot around 8 p.m.

According to police, the man told the young woman he needed help to start his car.

The woman went to help the man but he produced a weapon and forced her to drive her car out of the mall.

Ridge Meadows RCMP allege the man then began a significant physical assault on the woman who managed to fight off her attacker and flee from the car to a nearby house where police were called. The man drove off in the woman's red 1993 Honda Civic.

"This is a very serious incident and our serious crimes unit is fully engaged in the investigation," said Inst. Dave Fleugel.

"Here is a good citizen offering to do the right thing and help a person who is needing some assistance. This suspect took full advantage of this and committed this very unusual crime."

Police found the woman's car but are looking for anyone who saw the red 1993 Honda Civic in the area of Blackstock and 203rd Streets, bordered by 126th Avenue and Walnut Crescent, between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday.

The young woman was injured in the attack and was taken to hospital for medical treatment. Police describe her injuries as "non-life threatening" but add the woman is extremely shaken by the abduction.

Investigators have also canvassed stores in the mall for security camera footage and are hoping the abductor was caught on camera.

The suspect is described as a man with a dark complexion, in his 20s, five foot nine or five foot eleven. He weighed between 180 to 200 pounds, had a medium build and a few days of facial stubble.

He was wearing a white t-shirt, black puffy jacket, dark blue jeans, white and black shoes, and a black toque.

• Anyone with information is asked to call RCMP at 604-463-6251. To remain anonymous call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leave a tip online at www.bccrimestoppers.com. CrimeStoppers will pay a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.