Winnipeg police have made an arrest in connection with a sexual assault involving a 12-year-old girl Monday afternoon.
The girl was at a Portage Avenue and Main Street bus shelter around 3:30 p.m. when police say a man approached her and convinced her to go for a walk with him.
Police said she was taken to the stairwell of a building near Lombard Avenue and Rorie Street where she was sexually assaulted, after which the suspect fled and the victim was able to leave the area and call for help.
Const. Rob Carver credited police cadets with spotting the man downtown on Wednesday, leading to his arrest.
“Yesterday afternoon, auxiliary force cadets were patrolling in the downtown area with the information of the suspect in their possession,” he said Thursday.
“They identified the individual, and called uniformed members, who then arrested a suspect.”
A 36-year-old Winnipeg man is facing charges of sexual assault and sexual interference.
Carver called the incident disturbing, and praised cadets and the child abuse unit for taking the man into custody.
The victim is recovering, he said.
“No serious physical injuries. She was not kept in hospital, but obviously the trauma of this kind of incident will affect our victim here for a long time.”