The suspect in a gunpoint sexual assault inside a St. James Town apartment on Saturday night may have been spotted loitering at another building just one day after the alleged attack, police say.
A 52-year-old woman was in an elevator in an apartment building near Parliament and Howard streets at around 10:30 p.m. Saturday when she was approached by a man with a handgun.
Police say the man then forced the woman out of the elevator and into a stairwell, where she was sexually assaulted. The man then fled the building through the main lobby.
Speaking with CP24 on Monday, Det. Sgt. Joanne Rudnick said that a man with a similar description was seen loitering in a building near Isabella and Jarvis streets at around 2 p.m. Sunday but left the area before police arrived.
In the wake of the incident, Rudnick said she is urging anyone who notices something suspicious in their building to contact their superintendent or police.
“If you see somebody in your apartment building who is loitering, who doesn’t seem to belong or is just kind of unusual I would ask you to speak to your superintendent, security or call police,” she said. “Don’t just do nothing, speak to somebody.”
Police have released two surveillance camera videos of the suspect, one showing him walking in the building’s basement and the other showing him leaving through the main lobby.
He is described as a black man between 20 and 25 years of age. He stands five-foot-nine and has a medium build and was last seen wearing black jeans, a grey hooded sweater, grey vest, dark toque and tan shoes. Investigators say he was also carrying a red knapsack.
“We consider this man armed and dangerous at this point so if you do see someone matching his description give us a call but absolutely do not approach him,” Rudnick said.
