Images of a suspect wanted in connection with two sexual assaults in bus shelters in Vaughan have been released by York Regional Police.
Police said the first assault occurred Monday, March 27 between 10 and 11 p.m. when a 17-year-old female was inappropriately touched by a man who sat beside her on a bench in a bus shelter at Fishermen’s Way and Edgeley Boulevard, which is near Vaughan Mills mall.
After the assault, the victim got on a bus and the suspect left on foot, police said in a news release.
The second assault occurred when a 23-year-old woman sitting on a bench in a bus shelter at Weston and Rutherford roads was inappropriately touched by a male suspect as he walked past on Monday, April 10 at 2:55 p.m., police said.
Investigators believe the same suspect is responsible for both incidents, and are releasing images to appeal to the public to assist in identifying him.
The suspect is described as male, Black, 20 to 30, tall with a heavy build, and wearing a white t-shirt with Glow across the front, olive track pants, a white Raptors ball cap, and white running shoes.
A sexual assault includes any non-consensual contact of a sexual nature. York Regional Police encourages anyone who feels they may have been a victim of a sexual assault to come forward and report the incident to police. There is no statute of limitations for sexual offences and offenders can be prosecuted well after the date of the offence.
If you are the survivor of sexual assault, you can report the incident online if:
- you are not in danger
- the person who assaulted you is not present
- there is no evidence present that may be collected by police (blood, semen, saliva, etc.). Evidence can be collected for up to 12 days after the sexual assault has occurred
- you have access to a private email address, to which the suspect does not have access.
Use the following link for more information and to make an online report.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the York Regional Police special victims unit-sexual assault section at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7071 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or leave an anonymous tip online.
