Police seek help in assault case
Images and video show fake delivery man shoot woman with crossbow in November
In November, a Mississauga woman was shot with a crossbow when she answered the door to a fake delivery man in a targeted attack. Peel police say they believe it was carried out by a hit man and was meant to kill her.
The 44-year-old victim survived the bizarre 8 p.m. attack on her front doorstep on Bayberry Dr. in the area of Winston Churchill Blvd. and Argentia Rd. on Nov. 7, but she will never be the same again, according to police.
“The injuries that she sustained were absolutely devastating,” said Peel police Det. Sgt. Jim Kettles at a news conference updating the public on the case. “It involved damage to a lot of her internal organs. She’ll be in recovery phase for the rest of her life … Her life will never be the same.”
Police have released video and photographs of the suspect hoping someone in the community can help identify him. A special hotline to try to catch the would-be killer has been set up at 905-456-5840.
“This was most definitely a targeted type of attack,” Kettles said.
The victim was alone at the time and answered the door to someone dressed like a delivery man who was carrying a large package. Police said inside the box was a crossbow, the kind commonly used by hunters to kill moose and other large game. Police believe the man was holding the handle of the crossbow through a hole in one end of the box as he pointed it at the victim.
“The crossbow was never removed from the box,” Kettles said.
The victim and “delivery man” had a brief conversation, and then the man shot her in the chest.
She was able to close the door as he ran, and call 911. She saw him clearly, but did not recognize him, according to police.
“Comments made to the victim (by the suspect) indicate the victim was targeted and that the suspect may have carried out the attack at the request of another individual,” Supt. Heather Raymor said. “It is clear that this attack was meant to end the victim’s life.”
Police believe the man who shot her escaped in a dark-coloured pickup truck. The victim spent months in hospital following the attack.
“We are doing everything we can to support her right now,” Kettles said. “She’s in a place of safety. She will continue to have a struggle to get back to her new normal, considering the injuries she sustained.”
He said police are ensuring her safety and there are “potential motives” investigators have identified, but they aren’t revealing any and are still looking for others.
“We are open to anything at this point and we are looking at all possible investigative avenues,” Kettles said.
He noted the suspect’s baseball hat appears distinctive, although they cannot identify a make, and his shoes are also distinctive, and they are hoping his clothing or his face trigger a memory in someone.
Kettles noted the suspect did not cover his face, but may have been wearing a wig under the hat.
Information can also be provided to police anonymously through Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477
Police also released a video showing a portion of the attack.