Man wanted after 5 sex assaults, robbery near York University

Toronto police say they are looking for a suspect in connection with five alleged sexual assaults and a robbery near York University, including two on Thursday night within 15 minutes of each other.

Insp. Domenic Sinopoli of the sex crimes unit warned women to remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings, adding the suspect has become increasingly violent since the first reported assaults in October.

Around 9 p.m. Thursday, a 30-year-old woman was walking home from Finch West Station, near Keele Street, when it’s alleged a man violently attacked her and knocked her unconscious. When she came to, he allegedly forced her onto a secluded pathway in a townhouse complex on Four Winds Drive and sexually assaulted her. She was able to flee.

About 15 minutes later, a woman was in the area of Four Winds when she noticed a man loitering in the area. The man allegedly followed her, threatened her with a knife and demanded she hand over her cellphone. He then reportedly sexually assaulted her and then fled.

“We investigate thousands of sexual assaults a year but we don’t have too many where we have a serial type of escalation,” Sinopoli said.

“I don’t know what his motive is considering some of these occurrences may start with a robbery and finish with a sexual assault and vice versa.”

The suspect is described by police as being black, in his early 20s, between five feet nine and five feet 11 inches tall, with a slim build and short black hair.

One of the women described her attacker as wearing a loose dark grey toque pulled down to the eyes, a light-coloured shirt, a dark waist-length, bomber-style jacket and dark tightly-fitted pants. The other said her assailant was wearing a bulky hooded top or jacket, glasses and mostly dark clothes.

Police believe the same man is responsible for three other sexual assaults and a robbery.

It’s alleged on Wednesday, a 22-year-old woman was walking on a path near Fountainhead Park in the area of Finch and Sentinel Road around 9:30 p.m. when she was grabbed from behind by an unknown man who held a knife to her throat and sexually assaulted her.

Police say the woman managed to break free and run for help.

Two other similar incidents have also been reported to police, the first on Oct. 24 near Murray Ross Parkway and Sentinel, and the second on Oct. 31 near Cook and Sentinel roads. In both cases, women in their 20s were allegedly approached from behind by an unknown man and sexually assaulted.

On Dec. 10, police said a woman was sitting on a park bench on Sentinel and a man walked up to her and tried to start a conversation. Eventually he left, but returned a short time later and allegedly attacked her from behind. A struggle ensued and the suspect ran off with the woman’s purse.

“York University takes the safety of students and all members of the York community very seriously,” the school said Friday in an email.

“We issued a security bulletin this morning to notify members of the York community about … a number of sexual assault investigations which have occurred in close proximity to each other, off campus.”

Police are asking anyone with information to come forward or contact Crime Stoppers.