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Police link Newmarket sex assault suspect to similar acts near Upper Canada Mall

Click to play video: 'Footage shows suspect linked to 5 sexual assaults in Newmarket'
Footage shows suspect linked to 5 sexual assaults in Newmarket
WATCH ABOVE: York Regional Police release new security footage of a suspect wanted in connection to five sexual assaults in Newmarket – Jan 8, 2016

A man wanted for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in the parking lot of the Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket, Ont. is linked to four other similar incidents in the area, York Regional Police say.

The latest assault occurred on Dec. 22 around 7 p.m. when a man was seen on surveillance video watching a woman inside the mall, then following her to the parking lot where he allegedly hit her in the buttocks and ran away.

Police believe this most recent incident is connected to four other sexual assaults in Newmarket due to the similarities in the location, the type of assault and the suspect description.

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New security video released by authorities on Friday show a clearer image of the suspect’s face.

He is described as white, between 18 to 25 years of age, 5’5″ to 5’7″ tall, between 125 to 130 pounds and with a thin build.

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On Dec. 22, he was wearing a blue jacket, camouflage pants, a black leather baseball hat and running shoes.

Police say the investigation started in August after a woman was groped in the same mall parking lot.

In a case reported on Sept. 25, a man allegedly pushed an 18-year-old woman to the ground and attempted to remove her clothes.

The man fled the area after a bystander intervened.

Anyone with information is asked to call the York Regional Police Special Victims Unit – Sexual Assault Section at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7071 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS.

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