EDMONTON - A 17-year-old has been charged with aggravated sexual assault and robbery after a 62-year-old woman was viciously attacked on Tuesday, just steps away from her home.
The woman was walking home from work in the area of 93 Street and 103 Avenue around 9:45 p.m. that evening, when she became the victim of a seemingly random attack.
It was two hours later that nearby residents discovered her laying unconscious outside their fence.
"And as soon as they pulled her up you could see the blood and you knew it was something worse than she fell down and hit her head," says James Fargo, who lives in the area.
The woman was bleeding heavily and suffering from hypothermia. She was taken to hospital, where she remains in serious condition.
Tips from the public led police to arrest and charge a 17-year-old male in connection with the case on Wednesday, January 11th.
"In the two years I've been supervising member in the Sexual Assault Section, I can't recall an event this violent involving a youth," says Staff Sgt. Debby Jolly.
The teen, who cannot be named as a result of the Young Offender's Act, will be appearing in court Friday morning.
Jolly says police have yet to figure out whether this was a sexually motivated crime that turned into a robbery, or whether it was a robbery that ended up in a violent sexual assault. They also haven't been able to find any link between the victim and her alleged attacker, which they say is unusual, as in the vast majority of sexual assaults, the victim and attacker usually know each other.
"A person can only take so many preventative measures to enhance their own personal security. There's nothing that this victim could have done to enhance her security any more," says Jolly.
With files from Ross Neitz, Global News
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