Man who sexually assaulted woman near southeast Edmonton park sought by police
Police are looking for a man who sexually assaulted a woman in broad daylight in southeast Edmonton.
The victim told investigators on Sunday, May 8, she was beckoned by a man who was standing in the tree line north of Crawford Plains School park. When the woman in her 30s approached him, he attacked her.
Police say she was able to escape and fled to the playground where she was helped by others.
On Wednesday, police released a description of the man:
- approximately 55 years old;
- South Asian;
- spoke fluent Punjabi;
- between 168 and 173 centimetres (5'6" and 5'8") tall;
- about 68 kilograms (150 pounds) heavy; and
- was wearing a white Molson Canadian beer shirt, dark pants and a dark baseball cap.
As well, police said, the man has "a defined jaw, large nose, small eyes, thick eyebrows, grey stubble, a deep, raspy voice, and is missing multiple front upper and lower teeth."
'RAISES THE HAIR ON THE BACK OF YOUR NECK'
Crawford Plains residents have been asked to review their security and dashcam footage from that day and time for any people matching the description, and anyone with information is asked to contact police.
Several people who live in the community told CTV News Edmonton they found the incident disturbing.
Donald Longoz said he usually considers the neighbourhood "fairly safe," but commented, "It is definitely scary when something like that happens."
"Knowing that it's going on so close to home kind of raises the hair on the back of your neck," added another neighbour, Chad Hunt, who still has three kids at home.
"We just talked to the kids and let them know what's going on and that the neighbourhood has an element of unsafeness about it right now and just make them more aware of what's going on around them," he said.
"You just need to let them know that you can't help everybody. If it doesn't feel right, just say no. … Unfortunately we live in that time."
He noted that his children play in the park where the assault occurred.
"They have the freedom to go and play if they want to, but they've got that on the back of their mind and it kind of takes away the fun that they're having."
The principal of Crawford Plains School on Monday notified families Edmonton police were investigating an incident that had happened at its playground over the weekend.
"Children in our community may have seen police activity in our area and may ask you questions about it. As your principal, I value open and honest communication with our school community, so I wanted to let you know what was going on. We are cooperating with police as they continue to investigate," Lisa Nachtigal wrote.
She confirmed no students were involved in the incident.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.