Man, 22, charged in connection with 3 sexual assaults near Brampton bus stops
Accused pretended to be rideshare driver, approached women at bus stops, police say
A 22-year-old man has been charged with sexual assault and kidnapping after three women reported being assaulted near bus stops in Brampton earlier this month by a man pretending to be a rideshare driver.
In all three incidents, the suspect approached the victims at bus stops and proactively offered them a ride, though none of the victims had called or were expecting a rideshare, police previously said.
Investigators believe the same man is responsible for all three incidents.
Police announced they'd made an arrest in the case on Sunday, but did not release any further details.
On Wednesday, Peel police said the accused was a 22-year-old man from Brampton who is an international student. He was arrested in London, Ont., police said at a news conference.
He has been charged with three counts of kidnapping, sexual assault, sexual assault with a weapon, sexual assault by strangulation, robbery and uttering threats.
"These were incredibly violent, reprehensible acts perpetrated against our community and the charges, they're shocking, but they are representative of of what happened," said Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich with the Peel Regional Police.
Police say the accused doesn't live or go to school in London but was there visiting "associates" of his, Milinovich said.
Victims approached at bus stops
Two of the incidents happened on Nov. 8 within about an hour of each other, while the third happened on Nov. 16, says a news release from Peel Regional Police.
The first incident happened around 7 a.m. Police say the victim was waiting for a bus near Countryside Road and Bramalea Road, when a man approached her and offered her a ride.
He drove the victim to an area near Highway 27 and Nashville Road in Vaughan where he sexually assaulted her.
The second victim reported being approached by a man who offered her a ride in exchange for cash payment, while she was waiting at a bus stop at Goreridge Crescent and Via Romano Way around 7:43 a.m.
The suspect then drove the victim to an area near the Claireville Conservation on Highway 50 in Brampton, where he sexually assaulted her.
The third victim was approached by the accused on Nov. 16 while she was at a bus stop near Airport Road and Humberwest Parkway around 6:45 a.m., the news release says.
He then drove her to the area near Countryside Drive and Airport Road in Brampton and sexually assaulted her.
The accused wasn't working for any rideshare services, police said.
Investigators believe there may be more victims and are asking anyone with information to contact Peel Regional Police.
"The way that the accused was operating, we definitely believe there are other victims and we're concerned that they haven't come forward yet," Milinovich said.
In light of these incidents, police are cautioning people not to take unsolicited rides from strangers.
"You have to be vigilant. If it seems like it's too good to be true, just like with any other thing, it usually is," said Supt. David Kennedy with the investigative services unit of Peel Regional Police.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
