

Kayla Goodfield, CP24.com





The sexual assault of three women in their early 20s in the York University Heights area over the past two months has prompted Toronto police to issue a public safety alert.

All three of the separate incidents took place near Fountainhead Park, which is located near Finch Avenue West and Sentinel Road.

Most recently, a 22-year-old woman was walking along a path on the north side of Finch Avenue West, approaching Fountainhead Park on Dec. 19 at around 9:30 p.m. As she was walking, she was approached from behind by an unknown man. The man allegedly grabbed her, held a knife to her throat and sexually assaulted her.

The woman was able to break free and ran to get help.

On Oct. 31 at around 8:20 p.m., a 22-year-old woman was walking just north of Fountainhead Park near Cook and Sentinel roads. An unknown man allegedly approached her from behind, grabbed her and sexually assaulted her.

She was able to break free and fled the area.

One week before at around 7:30 p.m., a 20-year-old woman was walking in the area of Murray Ross Parkway and Sentinel Road – also just north of Fountainhead Park – when a man allegedly grabbed her from behind and sexually assaulted her.

She was able to fight the man off and managed to escape the area.

In all three incidents, investigators have described a suspect as a black man in his early 20s, who is between five-foot-nine and five-foot-10 with a slim-build. In the first two incidents, police said the suspect involved was clean shaven with “full lips and short black hair.”

Anyone with further information is asked to contact officers at 416-808-7474 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).