Police have arrested a man who allegedly followed multiple women in Toronto’s west end over the weekend, attacking one of them.
Police were initially called to the Bloor Street West and Palmerston Avenue area at around 10 p.m. on Sunday after receiving reports about a man in a ski mask who had been observed following two women.
The women crossed the road to get away from the man but he continued to follow them, police say.
The women then began to run away screaming, prompting a number of neighbours to come outside to see what was happening.
Police say that the man stopped his pursuit at that point and ran away from the area.
However, as police investigated that incident reports surfaced about another incident involving the same suspect in the Bloor and Bathurst streets area.
Police say that the suspect in that case began to follow a woman walking towards Markham Street and then approached her from behind and began punching her in the face, before tackling her to the ground.
Several passerby’s came to the woman’s aid and the man ran away.
He was, however, apprehended a short distance away by police.
Police say that the man was found to be in possession of knives and tools consistent with the use in break-and-enters at the time.
“Police would like to thank the community who stepped in to help the victims and assisted with the identification and subsequent arrest of the man,” a news release issued on Tuesday notes.
Olayiwola Adeyemi, 34, of Toronto, is facing nine charges, including assault causing bodily harm.
Police say that there may be additional victims in the case who have not yet come forward.
