Police are searching for a male suspect believed to be in his late 20s after an 80-year-old woman was sexually assaulted on a wooded trail west of Toronto.
Peel Regional Police said the incident occurred on a trail between Erin Mills Parkway and Rainbow Crescent in Mississauga, Ont., at approximately 2 p.m. on Monday. The senior was walking home on the busy pathway after shopping at a nearby plaza, according to police.
“A male came from behind, she was grabbed, and when she turned around, the male was performing an indecent act,” Const. Bancroft Wright told CP24. “The female was startled [and] left. She was not thrown down to the ground or injured in any way physically.”
Wright said the male suspect fled on foot down the trail after the alleged assault.
Residents in the neighbourhood told CTV Toronto that the pathway is popular among cyclists, joggers and walkers. A few of them called the incident “disturbing.”
“It’s almost sickening. It’s disgusting,” one young woman said. “It makes me feel so uneasy. I come home late at night from my friend’s house and now I feel scared walking into my own house.”
Police described the suspect as a white male between the ages of 25 and 30 years old. He’s approximately 5’8” to 5’9” with a medium build and short dark blonde hair. He was wearing long pants, a grey or green jacket and a baseball cap at the time of the assault.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Peel Regional Police or Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
With files from CTV Toronto and CP24
