Man arrested, charged in random sexual assault

A man is in custody and has been charged with sexual assault after Winnipeg police say he followed a woman into her apartment building and randomly sexually assaulted her Saturday night.

The victim, in her 30s, told police the suspect followed her into the lobby of a Mandalay Drive apartment building at 10:20 p.m. and “grabbed her in an unwanted sexual manner,” the Winnipeg Police Service said in a news release Monday.

“He began punching her repeatedly, and fled from the building before she called police. She sustained minor injuries, but did not require further medical attention,” police said. 

Officers arrived on scene at 11 p.m. and arrested an 18-year-old man outside the building without incident, WPS said.

The suspect and the victim did not know each other and the incident is believed to be random and unprovoked, police said.

The man is charged with sexual assault, assault cause bodily harm and three counts of breaching a release order. He had an existing warrant out for his arrest, police said.