ONE woman is recovering in hospital and police continue to look for the suspect responsible for a violent sexual assault that occurred in East Vancouver on Saturday night.

At about midnight, a 35-year-old woman was walking in the east lane of Joyce Street near Archimedes when she was approached by a man in a vehicle. He dragged her inside, physically assaulted her and drove to an area near East 45th Avenue and Rupert Street. Once there, the woman was stabbed and sexually assaulted.

The victim managed to scream and fight off her attacker, but not before receiving serious injuries.

Police said it appears the woman was targeted because the attacker believed her to be a sex trade worker.

On Monday police said that through further victim and witness interviews, investigators now believe the suspect to be a man in his  mid to late 40’s, described as Middle-Eastern, approximately 6’-6’2” tall, 250 lbs with a heavy solid build. He has an olive skin tone, spoke with an accent and was balding with a short shaved black fringe of hair around the sides and back of his head.

The vehicle he used was described as an older model dark bluish-green coloured minivan with a sliding door on the passenger side and dark tinted windows along the sides.

Investigators are once again appealing for witnesses to come forward, as it is believed that two vehicles passed along East 45th Avenue around the time of this incident.

Anyone with any information regarding the identity of this suspect or whereabouts of the vehicle is asked to contact the Vancouver Police Sex Crimes Unit at 604-717-0601 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.