A woman is recovering in hospital after she was stabbed and sexually assaulted in East Vancouver Saturday night.



Police say a 35-year-old woman was walking in the east lane of Joyce Street near Archimedes Street when she was dragged inside a man's car.

The woman was driven to an area near East 45 Avenue and Rupert Street where she was stabbed and sexually assaulted.

Vancouver police Const. Brian Montague says the woman managed to scream and fight off her attacker.

He says it appears to police the woman was targeted because the attacker believed she was a sex trade worker.

Montague says investigators believe there are witnesses from both locations involved in the attack who have not yet talked to police.

Police are asking anyone who may know or have seen anything to contact the Vancouver Sex Crimes Unit at 604-717-0601.

Sex assaults in Vancouver and Surrey

In the wake of the Vancouver attacks, Surrey RCMP have re-issued a warning from a week ago about two recent assaults on sex trade workers in Surrey on October 12 and October 18 in the vicinity of King George Boulevard near 144 Street and 64 Avenue.

RCMP describe the suspect in those assaults as Caucasian, 35-years-old, five feet, 10 inches tall and weighing between 90 and 105 kg with balding or shaved hair, and crooked teeth. Police say he may go by the name of James or Jeff.

Three weeks ago, Vancouver police also issued a public warning advising women to be cautious following a series of assaults on women.

The suspect in those attacks involved older women of Asian descent and unlike the most recent attack, the earlier attacks all happened in the morning and occurred on the city's west side.

The recent and most violent attack was in East Vancouver in contrast to earlier assaults on the city's west side.

On mobile? Click here for a map of attacks on women in Vancouver since April