Man accused in Charleswood sex assault no stranger to community

A man accused of sexually assaulting a mother walking with her children in Charleswood last week has a long history of harassing people who live and work in the area, residents say.

Brian Joel Levreault, 49, was charged with sexual assault in the Thursday incident, in which he approached the family, blocked their passage and made sexually explicit comments before assaulting the woman, police said.

Levreault was released from custody with conditions the following day, court records show. He has no prior convictions.

The Free Press spoke with several of his neighbours, who said Levreault lives with a cognitive impairment that is exacerbated by frequent alcohol use.

“I’m well aware of the situation in the neighbourhood. It’s nothing new, but it has escalated over time… Unfortunately, it’s escalated now to the point where he has been charged with a very serious offence,” Charleswood Coun. Evan Duncan said Monday.

“He needs constant supervision and we need to prioritize community safety. End of story. It’s really unfortunate that he has additional needs, but at the end of the day, that’s not the priority.”

Duncan said Levreault’s behaviour has become increasingly erratic in recent years. The man lives alone with limited support because his mother was admitted to a nursing home sometime last year.

Levreault is known for riding his bike around the area and collecting large bags full of beer cans, which he exchanges at vendors for cash, said one neighbour who has lived nearby for more than three decades.

The neighbour said he once thought of Levreault as relatively harmless, but now considers him dangerous.

He said Levreault recently tried to enter the man’s house while his wife was home alone and he frequently burns garbage in a fire pit in his backyard — producing acrid black smoke and sparking concerns.

“He shouldn’t be living alone, that’s clear. He’s either going to be severely hurt, or he is going to severely hurt someone else,” he said.

“It’s not getting better, it’s getting worse and worse — and fast.”

Court records show two women have taken protection orders out against Levreault.

Realtor Tammy-Lynn Gauthier said she was hosting an open house in the Charleswood area last year when Levreault attempted to hug and kiss her.

He arrived five minutes before the event was scheduled to end, while Gauthier was alone.

“I turned my face and he got my cheek. He smelled like alcohol,” she said. “I didn’t think to report it at the time… but now I’m wondering if I should have told somebody.”

Realtors working in the area know the man frequently visits open houses, and have warned each other about him, Gauthier said.

“It is scary, of course it is,” Gauthier. “We’re alone in these places a lot of the time.”

Duncan said Levreault’s case demonstrates a need for the provincial government to strengthen supports for people living with disabilities.

“His level of care has dilapidated over time and he’s just become less and less supervised,” Duncan said.

Levreault was not home Monday afternoon when the Free Press stopped by his house. His sister did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent about the same time.

The Free Press also reached out to the woman targeted in the alleged sex assault last week. Through a relative, she declined to comment while the case remains before the courts.

The woman was forced to flag down a passing vehicle for help during the assault, the Winnipeg Police Service said, noting nobody was injured during the incident.

Investigators identified the suspect and issued a warrant for his arrest.

Another neighbour said he saw police come to Levreault’s house after the incident and knock on the door, but he did not answer.

Police located him the following day on the 3900 block of Grant Avenue and took him into custody.

A woman selling flowers from a temporary greenhouse in a parking lot near where Levreault was arrested said she knows him well.

He sometimes helps out bagging soil at the pop-up store in exchange for money, she said.

“He can’t help who, or what, he is… he’s like a child who knows no limits,” she said. “I think the problem is that there are people who don’t know him, and it’s alarming.”

The woman said she, too, believes Levreault needs a higher level of supervision.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca