South Surrey sex assault on senior leaves residents concerned

Residents of south Surrey, B.C.remain on edge as police continue their search for a man who physically and sexually assaulted a 70-year-old woman Wednesday.

Police say the man had a weapon when he entered the woman's home in the 16700 block of 28Avenue in the middle of the afternoon.

• 70-year-old woman sexually assaulted in Surrey home

• Photos of Surrey sex assault suspect released byRCMP

"It's been a very overwhelming experience for our neighbourhood,"said Victoria Blinkhorn, chair of the Grandview Heights Stewardship Association.

"Home safety is a growing issue and people are taking steps."

Blinkhorn said amember of the local block watch grouprecently organized a safety fair for residents that presented different home security options.

Residents say they were concerned about break-ins and property crime in the area before the woman was robbed.

79-year-old Sybil Rowe, who lives nearby, was the victim of a break-in about a year ago.

"I came into the house and it looked like a crime scene from a movie," Rowe said.

"In my bedroom, every drawer was out on the floor."

Rowe's jewellery collection, which was worth more than $22,000 and included many irreplaceable items, was stolen and is still missing.

Since then, she has installed unbreakable glass windows, a state-of-the-art alarm system and heavy doors that can't be kicked in.

She says she was just starting to feel safe again when she heard about the violent attack on her elderly neighbour.

"That absolutely shocked me beyond all measure," Rowe said.

"I was terrified and enraged and I thought I had to protect myself."

Police say they have received several tips from the public since they released pictures of the suspect.

RCMP: South Surrey is safe

Rowe says several of her neighbour's homes have been broken into over the last two years.

Surrey RCMP Cpl. Scotty Schumann is aware of residents' concerns, but says south Surrey is a safe community.

"South Surrey is generally a very nice place to live with a low crime rate," Schumann said.

"We have not experienced a significant spike in property crimes there, and property crimes in the detachment on average have been declining."

Rowe appreciates the work police are doing, but she knows they can't be everywhere at once.

That's why she has made her home as safe as she can.

"There's no point in going into overkill, because you can't make a Fort Knox out of your house, but you can do your best to discourage them," she said.