The female victim of an attempted mugging in a downtown parking garage says she wasn’t about to let the man “victimize her.”
Toronto police, who are searching for a male suspect, have released disturbing surveillance video of the assault near Bay and College streets.
“He probably thought I was a small person, that I was good prey,” the victim — who wanted to remain anonymous — told Global News Thursday.
“He obviously didn’t want any complications but I made it complicated.”
The video shows a man following the woman up a ramp before attempting to grab her bag. The woman fought to hold onto the bag and was knocked to the ground, thrown about and dragged back down the ramp in the altercation.
“I used my pass to enter the garage — it’s private parking,” the woman in her 50s said. “I walked up the ramp and I kind of noticed that someone was coming in, but it didn’t occur to me. It’s a safe area and it’s private parking.
“But before I knew what was happening, I felt a horrible sensation in my eyes — he had sprayed something on my face.”
Const. Chris Hominuk told Global News that the suspect sprayed the woman in the face with pepper spray, but that she still held onto her purse for “dear life,” which Hominuk doesn’t believe the man expected.
“He probably thought she was an easy target and he probably didn’t expect that.”
Police said that the suspect fled when a passerby walked by and intervened, and that he did not make away with the victim’s purse.
The woman said all she had in her bag was 10 dollars, ID and credit cards, but for her, it wasn’t about what was inside, it was about not letting the suspect take it.
“There was nothing that was not replaceable, but it was just that ‘you’re not going to be successful,'” she said.
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The woman knows that it could have been a lot worse, but she said she won’t let the situation “paralyze her” or make her “dysfunctional.”
“The fact that I didn’t give him what he wanted puts me a little bit in control of my emotions.”
But she will, however, be more careful from now on and warns that others — especially women — should be more cautious.
“Don’t be distracted, be careful, be vigilant — especially in parking garages at night or on quiet streets.”
The woman said she uses that parking garage every day for work and that her employer has begun to look into improving security.
The suspect is described as 35 to 45 years old and was wearing a brown jacket and beige pants at the time.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-5200 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).
–With files from Caryn Lieberman