deadmonton 2006 - other police matters
sexual assault suspect
"I want to stress to everyone, this is our highest-priority case. There is nothing of more priority in this city at this time."
Those were the words of police Chief Mike Boyd speaking about a sexual assault upon a seven-year-old girl inside an Edmonton school.
At about 10:15 a.m. on April 3rd, 2006 a Grade 2 student visited a washroom inside the Oliver School at 10227 118 Street. She was attacked by a man who was hiding inside a stall.
The girl was the victim of sexual groping, after which she managed to get away. She received a bump on her head and was later released from Stollery Children's Hospital where doctors examined her.
Police were looking for a 30-year-old black man, five-foot-nine, with medium-length black hair with a yellow or orange streak. He was wearing a red-and-white jacket.
Four days later, on April 7th, the seven-year-old and her uncle were on the Oliver school playground on her first day back after the attack. The yard was full of parents picking their children up after classes had ended for the week.
A man walked up to the pair and asked for a cigarette. Moments later the Grade Two girl told her uncle she thought it was the man who molested her.
The uncle gave chase and was joined by another man who too thought the individual matched the description of the person being sought.
Police were called and arrived within minutes to find several people restraining the person of interest. He was taken to police headquarters for questioning.
A police spokesman said the man does in some way match the description of the man they are looking for but investigators are being careful that the girl might be mistaken.
"In cases like this, the first time somebody who's been traumatised sees somebody who is even remotely similar to the person in question, (it) can cause them to fear, and cause them to say something that might in fact not be true," the spokesman added.
After separately questioning the man and the girl, police released the man without charges.
"The girl saw him from behind and his long hair fit the description," said a police spokesman. "From the front he didn't match. He had a full beard he could not have grown in a matter of days."
Persons with information are asked to contact a special police hotline at 944-3712 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.tipsubmit.com - a secure tip submission web site.