Suspect In School Sex Assault May Have Terrorized Another Woman Minutes Earlier
Posted January 24, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It now appears the man suspected of assaulting a seven-year-old girl in a washroom may have confronted and terrorized another woman just minutes before he allegedly entered the High Park Centennial Montessori School on Tuesday afternoon.
An employee at a medical arts building in the Royal York and Queensway area was taken by surprise when she went to the basement to check out something strange in the washroom.
“She found somebody in the washroom sitting with a bottle of wine beside him,” recalls pharmacist Pauline Kurkjian, who works in the building. “So he grabbed her with a peeling knife. She was scared … she was screaming for help. But he locked the door and wouldn’t let her out.”
The woman wasn’t assaulted but he detained her until her screams alerted co-workers. When help arrived, the man fled.
Not long after, the seven-year old girl told her teacher a stranger had sexually assaulted her at the school. The campus is about ten minutes from the scene of the first incident.
Two parents and a school bus driver are credited with spotting the suspect and holding him down until police arrived.
Officials with the private educational institution spent the day tightening security at the campus.
The owner remains stunned by what happened at a place he always considered safe for his students. He believes the intruder came in through a temporarily unlocked back entrance.
“All the doors in the school are always locked all day. The only time that back door is open is at 3:15 to facilitate parents coming into the school to pick up children,” explains Brent Lisowski. “Somehow or another this gentleman snuck into the school and into the girl’s washroom.
“We don’t know how it could happen because the school at that time is always with staff in the hallways, parents in the hallways. There are a lot of people around. You know, just one of those things that is very disturbing and upsetting.”
From now on staff will be guarding the door whenever it’s open. And everyone will be keeping a closer eye peeled for anyone who doesn’t belong.
Parents are incensed by the attack but are staying true to their school.
“They’ve done so many good things, and I’m surprised it’s happened,” admits Richard Attard. “Like everybody knows everybody here, so we’re all wondering how somebody got in here.
“I think the school is a pretty good school and they are extremely careful with the kids, but I think with some things we can’t prevent,” adds Adriana Carvalhal.
A psychologist was on hand at the campus as the kids returned Wednesday morning to help them deal with their fears over the event.
The suspect has now been identified as Nicholas Finelli. Cops held off releasing his name or his picture so the woman in the medical building could try and I.D. him in a line-up.
He made a brief court appearance on Wednesday and will be back before the bench on Friday for a bail hearing. He’s facing nine charges – and police believe he may have been involved in a third attack.
They want to hear from anyone who knows what Finelli was doing on Monday and Tuesday.
The Grade One victim was checked out at the Hospital for Sick Children and released back to her parents. She remained at home on Wednesday recovering from her frightening ordeal.
Sign up for a del.icio.us account here to save your bookmarks for free online.
