News briefs for Friday, June 23, 2023

Road rage incident leads to arrest

12:04 PM

A 37-year-old man is facing a charge of aggravated assault for a road rage incident six months ago, according to Winnipeg police.

A 75-year-old man suffered life-altering injuries in an alleged assault in an Osborne Village parking lot on January 15, 2023. At about 6:10 p.m. that day, the Winnipeg Police Service responded to a report of a motor vehicle collision with a pedestrian. Police determined the 75-year-old with an upper-body injury had suffered an assault, and that his injury wasn’t caused by a collision.

The 37-year-old man was arrested June 21.

“The Major Crimes Unit assumed the investigation and learned the victim and suspect were involved in a road rage incident where both vehicles had stopped in a parking lot in the 400 block of River Avenue. They exited their vehicles, at which time the victim was physically assaulted. He was rendered unconscious, fell to the sidewalk, and sustained life-altering injuries,” WPS stated in a news release Friday.

Jets release preseason schedule

12:27 PM

The Winnipeg Jets have released their six-game preseason schedule for the coming campaign.

They’ll play a trio of teams — the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Ottawa Senators — both at home and on the road.

The games are as follows:

• Sun., Sept. 24 vs. Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place, 5 p.m.
• Mon., Sept. 25 vs. Edmonton Oilers at Canada Life Centre, 7 p.m.
• Wed., Sept. 27 vs. Calgary Flames at Canada Life Centre, 7 p.m.
• Fri., Sept. 29 vs. Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre, 6 p.m.
• Mon., Oct. 2 vs. Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome, 8 p.m.
• Thu., Oct. 5 vs. Ottawa Senators at Canada Life Centre, 7 p.m.

Massage therapist faces sexual assault charge

12:28 PM

A Winnipeg massage therapist has been arrested and is facing a sexual assault charge following an incident at a city spa last month.

A woman in her 50s reported being sexually assaulted during a massage therapy appointment at a business in the 700 block of Crescent Drive, where Thermea is located. The massage appointment with the licensed massage therapist occurred on May 16, 2023, and three days later, on May 19, the woman reported to police that she was touched in an unwanted and sexual manner, the police service stated in a news release Friday.

On June 22, a 40-year-old man was arrested and released on an undertaking. Police stated he is no longer an employee of the business, and Sex Crimes Unit investigators are asking anyone who wishes to speak to them to call 204-986-6245 as the investigation continues.

Suspect sought after 10-year-old boy assaulted in Oak Lake

1:18 PM

A 10-year-old boy was attacked by an unknown man near a restaurant in a small western Manitoba town last Friday, RCMP say.

Virden RCMP were called to Assiniboine Street in Oak Lake, Man., near Joe Dandy’s Drive-In, about 6:25 p.m. on June 16, Mounties say.  Oak Lake is located about 50 km west of Brandon, Man.

RCMP say the suspect ran at the boy and pushed him off his bicycle before grabbing at his pants and dragging him to the road.

The suspect then began to yell at the boy in what Mounties believe was an attempt to steal money from him before running off.

The boy wasn’t physically hurt.

RCMP describe the suspect as Indigenous and about 6 feet tall with a beard. He was wearing a blue sweater and black pants and looked to be in his early 20s.

Virden RCMP ask for anyone with information or who may have witnessed the assault to call the detachment at 204-748-2135 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

Man drowns in Cross Lake

2:29 PM

A man drowned on Wednesday in Cross Lake, RCMP say.

Mounties say officers from the Cross Lake detachment were called to the local nursing station at about 4:45 p.m. Monday, where the 42-year-old victim had been brought in and pronounced dead.

RCMP spoke with three witnesses, who were with the man at the time of the drowning, who said they got into the water after the victim began having difficulty staying afloat and went under. They found him and took him to the nursing station, RCMP said.

Local Mounties are still investigating.