VIDEO: Cold case unit releases new information about Vaughan sexual assault suspect

NEWS RELEASE
YORK REGIONAL POLICE
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Investigators in the Special Victims Unit – Sexual Assault Cold Case section have released new information about the perpetrator of a sexual assault in Vaughan in 2008.

“Our hope is that in revealing this new information about the post-incident behaviour, other victims may come forward with an idea of who this person may be,” said Det. Shawna Leitch.

The assault occurred at approximately 12:30 a.m. on May 8, 2008, when a 20-year-old woman was walking to her home on Pinewood Drive in Vaughan near Hilda and Steeles Avenues. Before she could reach her house, she realized she was being followed by a man dressed in a dark, puffy vest and white baseball cap. When she confronted the man, he attacked her before she could react.

The suspect pulled the victim into a dark, grassy area at the west end of the dead-end street, where he sexually assaulted her. Following the attack, the man’s demeanour changed drastically. He helped the victim retrieve her clothing and to get dressed, before kneeling down to apologize. He then fled, walking eastbound on Pinewood Drive.

Details of the incident, including the suspect’s unique behaviour following the assault, are outlined in a new video above.

“In my experience, this type of behaviour is not common among sexual assault suspects,” said Det. Leitch.

The suspect is described as:
    •    Male, Asian, 25 to 30 years
    •    5’ 6”, 130 lbs
    •    Thin build
    •    Dark short hair, brown eyes, clean shaven
    •    Wearing a dark-coloured sweater, jeans, a dark-coloured vest and a white baseball hat
    •    Spoke with an accent

More information about the case, including a suspect likeness, crime scene photos, and maps, is available here.

The York Regional Police Special Victims Unit – Sexual Assault Cold Case Section is staffed by specially trained investigators who use advanced forensic technology and information from the public, witnesses and victims to pursue new investigative leads on historic sexual assault cases. The unit, formed in 2018, is unique in Ontario.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the York Regional Police Special Victims Unit at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 6000, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or leave an anonymous tip online.

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