On Tuesday, December 17, 2019, Toronto Police Service Sex Crimes, in partnership with the Ontario Provincial Police, announced the arrest of a man alleged to be responsible for four sexual assault occurrences.
It is alleged that:
- on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, at approximately 1 a.m., in the Dufferin Street and Rogers Road area of Toronto, a 23-year-old woman was approached from behind by a man, dragged into a laneway, and sexually assaulted.
It is further alleged that:
- on January 1, 2017, at approximately 1:20 a.m., in the Birch Street and Second Street area of Collingwood, a 17-year-old female was pulled into a vehicle by a man and sexually assaulted.
On Thursday, March 2, 2017, investigators from Toronto Police and the Ontario Provincial Police released a composite sketch of a man they believed was responsible for both incidents and a tip line was established to collect information from the community.
It also alleged that:
- on Monday, July 15, 2019, at approximately 10:30 p.m., in the Eglinton Avenue West and Jane Street area of Toronto, a 28-year-old woman got into what she believed was a ride-share vehicle when the driver took her to a parking lot and sexually assaulted her.
It is further alleged that:
- on Friday, November 1, 2019, in the early morning hours, a 22-year-old woman was taken from the Polson Street and Cherry Street area of Toronto to a parking lot and sexually assaulted in a vehicle
- the woman was able to note the man’s license plate and contacted police
As a result, on November 1, 2019, Dipesh Patel, 34, of Toronto, was arrested and charged in relation to the November 2019 incident.
After further investigation, officers with the Toronto Police and the OPP are alleging the man is responsible for all four incidents. He has been charged with:
1. Three counts of Sexual Assault
2. Extortion
3. Three counts of Forcible Confinement
4. Two counts of Robbery
5. Two counts of Sexual Assault with a Weapon
6. Assault with a weapon
7. Two counts of Threaten Death
8. Three counts of Assault
9. Use Firearm to commit an indictable offence
10. Two counts of Choking
Investigators are concerned there may be other victims and are asking anyone with information to contact police.
A sexual assault is any form of unwanted sexual contact. It includes, but is not limited to, kissing, grabbing, oral sex and penetration. To learn more about sexual assault, including how to report a sexual assault, please visit our Sex Crimes website.