Vancouver police arrest man who is a person of interest in an alleged stalking incident

Vancouver Police have arrested a 33-year-old man they have identified as a person of interest in an incident where a woman was followed in Chinatown earlier this week.

The man was arrested Friday morning after assaulting a different woman in downtown Vancouver, according to VPDspokespersonConst. Tania Visintin.

"From this investigation, officers have identified a person of interest in the stalking case," she said in a news release.

Earlier this week, 26-year-oldJamie Coutts posted a video to social media in which she described being followed by a stranger for40 minutes as she walked through downtown late Wednesday afternoon.

The video shows a masked man walking a few metres behind her for several blocks until the woman approaches a group of people for help.

Coutts later contacted police, who immediately launched an investigation.

WATCH| Jamie Coutts records as a stranger follows her:

Stalker not identified by victim

Coutts says she was called by a police investigator Saturday afternoon to come look at pictures of men at a police station nearby.

She says she didn't recognize any of the photographed men.

"Unfortunately none of [them were] the man that followed me," she said. No details were provided to Coutts about who the men in the photographs were and whether the police suspected them.

"They try to give as little details as possible just so that my memory isn't really warped by other things that are happening right now."

Coutts says it was the first she'd heard about the investigation since she reported the stalking on Wednesday and an officer was assigned to the case.

Since she posted the video to social media, more women have shared their experiences, she says. One woman shared a picture of a man that had similar behaviours to the man that followed Coutts but is not the same person.

"I think a lot of people are getting the two of those photographs confused, " Coutts clarified.

Investigation ongoing

VPD says the man they arrested Friday morning is being held in jail and that assault charges have been recommended to Crown counsel.

Police also say the investigation into the stalking file is ongoing.

Coutts says the experience of being followed is still top of mind for her.

"I know that he's still out there. I know that he's in my neighbourhood and life has continued but I don't necessarily feel like I'm able to keep doing the things that I want to do."

Other than going to the police station to look at the photographs she hasn't left her home, she says.

Coutts, who is of Cree and Carrier descent, says the ordeal has been an unfortunate reminder of the hundreds of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada.

"This hit home for us," said Coutts who has six sisters. "Although it's a bit of a tough pill to swallow it's a bit of a blessing in disguise because now people are paying attention to what's happening."