Vancouver police are warning residents to lock their windows after a young woman was the victim of a disturbing sexual assault in her own home Wednesday morning.

The 21-year-old victim was sleeping when a stranger entered her home near 22nd Avenue and MacDonald Street and started attacking her around 6 a.m.

Fortunately, she managed to fight the man off and he ran away.

“She wasn’t physically injured but you can only imagine how traumatizing this would be,” Sgt. Randy Fincham said.

“This is a nightmare you see in the movies.”

Officers searched the surrounding neighbourhood but weren’t able to find the suspect, who remains on the loose.

Though police aren’t saying how the intruder got into the home, they’re urging the public to keep their windows and doors locked, despite the warm weather.

Investigators are expected to remain in the area through Wednesday afternoon searching for evidence and potential surveillance video of the attacker. They’re asking anyone with information to come forward.

The suspect is described as Asian, between 20 and 30 years old, with a medium build. He was wearing dark clothing and a mask over his face.

Tipsters can call the Vancouver Police Sex Crimes Unit at 604-717-3117 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Mi-Jung Lee