Winnipeg police looking for alleged serial groper

Winnipeg police are asking for the public’s help in identifying an alleged serial groper, that they believe is responsible for a series of sexual assaults in the city’s downtown over the past week.

Between Wednesday and Saturday of last week, six women reported being groped from behind by a stranger who then ran away.

The first two assaults happened Wednesday around 6 and 7 p.m. The first occurred on Balmoral Street south of Broadway, followed up by a second assault near the intersection of Main Street and Assiniboine Avenue.

The other assaults happened at 9:50 p.m. Thursday near Ellice and Hargrave, 7 p.m. Friday on Edmonton Street south of Portage, and 10:30 p.m. Saturday near Granite Way and Osborne Street.

“It’s very very frightening to know you are just walking and someone approaches you very unexpectedly,” said Cst. Dani McKinnon, Winnipeg Police Service.

“The suspect appears to be a light-skinned male, thin body type, between 5’4 and 5’8 so not a tall individual, there was a description that he was wearing glasses, jeans, hoodie, pretty average individual.”

At this time the police do not believe the assaults will escalate but until the suspect in apprehended, they recommend residents to take extra precautions when walking at night.

“Now in the fall hours, it does get darker earlier to be very considerate of that and the routes that you are taking, make sure they are in well lit area’s.”

Speaking to women who live and work in the downtown core, many admit to thinking twice before heading out once the sun goes down.

Anyone with information or who has surveillance video in the area is asked to contact the wps sex crimes unit, or crimestoppers.