St. Mary’s University employee injured after random assault

Police are hunting for a man accused of a random assault at St. Mary’s University that left one employee injured.

The incident took place Tuesday at approximately 7:40 p.m. at the private Catholic university at 14500 Bannister Road S.E.

Police said a man entered the school around 7 p.m. where he was questioned by an employee about why he was there. He said he was attending a meeting at the school.

It is then believed he exited the school but later gained re-entry when the employee opened a door leading outside. The man then pushed the employee to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked the victim, causing cuts to the face and elbow and bruises on the person’s back, according to police.

The attacker then ran away and the victim called police.

After reviewing CCTV footage, police said the same man is responsible for slashing tires at the university the previous week, on Feb. 13, at approximately 9:50 p.m. in the St. Mary’s University parking lot.

Police believe the incidents were random and unprovoked.

The St. Mary’s University assault comes just days after two other attacks in the area.

Police don’t believe it is connected to the random attack that occurred at Fish Creek Provincial Park on Saturday, but said it is unknown if it is connected to the random stabbing of a 15-year-old boy in the off-leash dog park in the community of Braeside on Saturday.

Cory Carl Szabo, 38, of Calgary, is charged with assault in connection with the university incident but remains at large.

Szabo is described as a Caucasian male, 30 to 40 years old, five feet six inches to five feet nine inches tall and clean-shaven with a medium build.

At the time of the incident, he was wearing an orange tuque, blue jacket, blue backpack, black Adidas pants with three vertical stripes down each leg and beige boots.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Calgary police at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.calgarycrimestoppers.org