STORY BY MADISON SOMMERVILLE & SAM TASKIE
Police arrived at Sheridan College after a call about another assault around 9 p.m. Thursday night, just two days after a sexual assault in the same area.
Halton Regional Police spokesperson Chantal Corner told The Sheridan Sun that the suspect grabbed the female victim, who was walking on a sidewalk on the north side of the campus.
According to police information released today, a lone male suspect approached the victim from behind and grabbed her backpack. The victim screamed and struck the suspect with her backpack causing the suspect to run off southbound on Trafalgar Road.
Police say the latest incident is linked to the sexual assault that took place on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Police are still searching for the male suspect, who is described as being between 5-foot-4 and 5-foot-6, slim or medium build, wearing a dark jacket with hood trimmed with light-coloured material from Tuesday Feb. 4.
During last night’s investigation, police blocked the trails in front of the college while Sheridan security patrolled the paths in carts.
Friday afternoon, the college’s head of security, Michael Burjaw, sent an email to the Sheridan community announcing a Town Hall-style meeting on Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the Trafalgar Campus gym with college president Jeff Zabudsky, Student Union president Jenna Pulver and police.
“In our continued effort to keep everyone fully informed about this issue, I would also like to let you know that on the evening of Thursday, Feb. 6, Halton Police were on site. A female student was grabbed from behind and threatened. Thankfully, her screams scared off the attacker,” he wrote. “This incident occurred at the North end of campus, in a very well lit area, near Trafalgar Road.”
Burjaw also addressed in the email information about ownership of the trails surrounding the campus that was included with a recent student petition.
“Sheridan College owns the land around the Trafalgar campus, through which the trails run. Sheridan has leased the trails to the Town. Sheridan is working with the Town of Oakville to gain permission to add additional security features to the trail system, in order to make it safer. We are also asking for permission to widen and straighten the trails, so that two people can walk side-by-side and trail users have a clear line of sight when walking through the forest.”
The police investigation into the assaults is continuing. Witnesses are asked to contact the Halton Regional Police Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit at 905-825-4747, ext. 8970.
Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or via www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca or by texting “Tip201″ with your message to 274637 (crimes).
[box style=”rounded”]More from The Sheridan Sun
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- Police release sex assault ‘person of interest’
- Student petition about trail ownership closed after meeting with college
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