Man charged with attempted murder after Whitby woman brutally attacked

A 21-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after a Whitby woman suffered life-threatening injuries in what police say was a random attack.

The 50-year-old woman had been reported missing in the evening of July 28, after going for a walk in the area. Police searched for her overnight using a canine team.

Officers found the woman near a creek in the area of Taunton Road East and Anderson Street just before 10 a.m. on July 29.

Police said she had suffered multiple injuries that were consistent with an assault. The woman was rushed to hospital where she remains in critical condition.

In an effort to find her attacker, police released security video last week that showed a man walking behind the victim on a sidewalk on Taunton near Anderson on the same night she was attacked.

Police also searched the waterways and dense brush surrounding the area where she was found, in the hopes of finding clues.

Investigators soon identified the suspect, and with the help of police in Ottawa, arrested Anthony Doiron-Francis, of Whitby, on Thursday.

Police said the suspect wasn’t known to the victim and believe this was a random attack.

Along with the attempted murder charge, Doiron-Francis is also facing a charged of aggravated sexual assault and aggravated assault.