Police say an arrest warrant has been issued for a member of the men's Brazilian Pan Am water polo team after a 22-year-old woman told police she was sexually assaulted while sleeping at her downtown Toronto apartment.
Speaking at a news conference Friday afternoon, Insp. Joanna Beaven-Desjardins said the alleged incident occurred on the morning of July 16.
According to police, the woman was in the apartment with two men and another female.
Shortly after the 22-year-old went to sleep, a suspect entered her bedroom and allegedly sexually assaulted her.
Police would not say if the suspect was invited to the apartment by the alleged victim but did say that the man did not force his way into the unit.
The suspect has been identified by investigators as 27-year-old Brazilian water polo player Thye Mattos Ventura Bezerra, who participated in the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games.
Hours after the alleged assault took place, police say Bezerra left the country and police confirmed that the men’s polo team is also no longer in Canada.
Investigators say Bezerra was in Toronto over a two-week period.
Beaven-Desjardins said investigators are attempting to put out a Canada-wide warrant for Bezerra.
"The best case scenario is that he comes back to Toronto and faces the charges," she told reporters Friday.
Police say they believe there may be other victims. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call police at 416-808-7474 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).
