Police release sketch of sex assault suspect

Lethbridge police have released a composite sketch of a man wanted in connection with a violent attempted sexual assault last March. Police are asking anyone who recognizes the man to come forward.

A badly beaten woman went to the police station around 3:13 a.m. on March 18 to report that she had been attacked by an unknown male in the area of 6 Avenue South near the Civic Centre.

She said the man approached her and solicited her for sex. When she refused, he forced himself on her and began violently assaulting her.

The woman struggled and fought with her attacker and was ultimately able to escape. She then ran out into traffic along 6 Avenue South to get help. Multiple vehicles drove past her before a taxi finally stopped and drove her to the police station.

She was later taken by EMS to hospital for treatment of serious head and facial injuries.

At the time, a news release was issued asking witnesses or anyone who had driven past the woman to come forward. Police received a number of tips and identified a person of interest, but that individual has now been ruled out as a suspect.

The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 25-35 years old, five-foot-nine to five-foot-11 inches tall, 165-175 pounds with an average build. He was clean shaven, with short, dark hair and was well-dressed wearing a white or light-coloured zip-up coat with distinctive stripes down the sleeves.

Police are urging anyone with information, who hasn’t previously been in touch, to come forward.

If you were in the area on Saturday, March 18 between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., if you saw anyone matching the suspect’s description, recognize the person in the sketch or have any other information — no matter how insignificant it may seem — please call 403328-4444 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-2228477 or www.tipsubmit.com.