Man charged with sexual assaults in Brampton, Vaughan posed as rideshare driver: police

A 22-year-old man who allegedly posed as a rideshare driver is facing several charges, including kidnapping, in connection with multiple sexual assaults that occurred in Brampton and Vaughan, Peel Regional Police said on Wednesday.

PRP said three women were allegedly sexually assaulted by the same male suspect. The first reported incident came on Nov. 8, at approximately 7 a.m., when an adult woman was waiting for a bus in the Countryside Drive and Bramalea Road area.

Police said the accused was driving a black four-door sedan and approached the woman under the guise of a rideshare driver. She was driven to the area of Highway 27 and Nashville Road in Vaughan, where police said she was sexually assaulted. 

Less than an hour later, at around 7:45 a.m., the same suspect approached another woman waiting for a bus in the Goreridge Crescent and Via Romano Way area, picked her up while pretending to be a rideshare operator, and drove her to the area of Highway 50 south of Gore Road, where she was allegedly sexually assaulted.

The third incident happened on Nov. 16, at around 6:45 a.m., when a third woman was waiting at a bus stop near Airport Road and Humberwest Parkway. Police said she was approached by the suspect in a newer model four-door sedan and offered a ride. She was driven to the area of Countryside Drive just west of Airport Road and sexually assaulted.

Arshdeep Singh, 22, of Brampton, was arrested on Nov. 20 in London, Ont. His charges include sexual assault, sexual assault with a weapon, sexual assault by strangulation, robbery, three counts of kidnapping and two counts of uttering threats.

The accused was held for a bail hearing and appeared in court on Wednesday.

22-year-old international student came to Canada in 2022: police

PRP Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich said authorities believe there may be additional victims.

“We’re concerned they haven’t come forward yet,” Milinovich said at a press conference on Wednesday. “It’s very clear what his modus operandi was. He would approach South Asian females in their early 20s and offer rideshare services.”

Police said the accused, who spoke multiple languages, spoke to all three victims in Punjabi. Authorities also noted that Singh was not associated with any rideshare companies.

“He was arrested in London, Ont., and, as I understand it, was an international student,” Milinovich added. “These charges are shocking, but they are representative of what happened.”

Superintendent David Kennedy noted that Singh arrived in Canada in Dec. 2022 on a student visa and is not believed to have been attending school in London, Ont., and was there visiting friends when he was arrested.

Police urged the public not to accept unsolicited offers of transportation from anyone unknown to them.