VANCOUVER -- A 50-year-old Surrey man has been arrested and charged in connection to last month's brutal sexual attack of a North Vancouver woman who mistakenly entered her attacker's minivan believing it was a cab.

Stephen Lee Schienbein was arrested Thursday at his Surrey home and charged with sexual assault causing bodily harm, sexual assault with a weapon, forcible confinement and assault resulting from the Oct. 12 attack, Deputy Chief Adam Palmer said Friday.

Schienbein, who has had previous dealings with police but has never been charged with sexual assault, remains in police custody pending his next court appearance, Palmer said.

"I can't speak to the suspect's motive in this case," said Palmer. "But it is clearly a brutal attack."

The 25-year-old woman had been trying to hail a cab in the early hours of Oct. 12 when she mistakenly flagged down a dark minivan.

The driver picked her up in the 100 block Water Street, drove her to an undisclosed area in East Vancouver and then attacked her.

Palmer said the break in the case came in the days after police released to the public CCTV footage of the suspect van. Soon after, a witness contacted police saying they had seen a similar minivan being driven by a man matching the suspect description.

The witness copied down the licence plate and forwarded it on to police.

"The tip from the citizen was definitely a break in the case and very helpful," Palmer said, adding dozens of investigators were involved at one point or another in the high priority case. "We took it [the case] very seriously."

Palmer said the victim was notified of the arrest.

"It was a very traumatic situation for this victim," he said. "She's coping with it, but it is very difficult."

Palmer said the investigation remains ongoing with investigators continuing to gather evidence.

colivier@theprovince.com

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