WINNIPEG (CBC) - A woman was sexually assaulted in broad daylight Monday morning in the skywalk between Portage Place Shopping Centre and the MTS Centre in downtown Winnipeg, police said Tuesday.

Const. Jacqueline Chaput said the woman, 45, was walking through the skywalk around 11 a.m. CT Monday when a man approached her from behind, sexually assaulted her, and fled.

Although she would not say exactly what happened, Chaput said the assault lasted only a matter of seconds, and the woman was not injured.

Chaput advised citizens to be vigilant about their safety regardless of their location or the time of day.

"If you have a bad feeling, go somewhere where there are people," she said. "Don't worry about getting to work on time. I have no doubt that your employer would be understanding of that.

"Find a security guard, ask them to walk you through. People are concerned about other people's safety, and I have no doubt that if she had any feeling at all that this was going to happen and she would have approached a security guard, they would have definitely walked her across if she had any concerns."

The suspect in the case is described as a "darker skinned male," in his early 30s, about five feet eight inches tall with a medium to stocky build.

The man had black, short hair and a slight moustache, and he was wearing a white T-shirt, khaki-coloured shorts and white running shoes.

Anyone with information in about the assault or the suspect is asked to contact investigators at (204) 986-6668 or Crime Stoppers at (204) 786-TIPS.

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