Women warned about groper on city buses

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This article was published 19/09/2022 (827 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Women who take Winnipeg city buses are being warned to watch out for a man who has groped several riders.

The suspect pinched women’s buttocks while trying to kiss them on at least six buses over four-and-a-half hours Tuesday morning.

Police said they received multiple reports of similar assaults but had yet to speak to the victims.

Multiple women told bus drivers that an unknown man had grabbed their buttocks and tried to kiss them, police said. Another victim said they had been spat on while the suspect left one of the buses.

“We certainly need the public to be advised that there is a person that is committing these acts on these buses, and we certainly want to be able to identify him and charge him appropriately,” Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Claude Chancy said.

Chancy said the victim’s descriptions of the suspect’s appearance were similar.

The assaults occurred on the following buses and routes: Bus 737 – Route 47- 4 at 7 a.m.; Bus 748 – Route 20-1 at 9:30 a.m.; Bus 152 – Route 29-1 at 10:20 a.m.; Bus 198 – Route 11-1 at 10:30 a.m.; Bus 329 – Route 21-5 at 11 a.m.; and Bus 737 – Route 47-4 at 11:30 a.m.

The head of the union for bus drivers was alarmed to learn about the assaults.

“It’s bad enough that our operators are assaulted, we are concerned that women and vulnerable people especially are being assaulted, too. It’s disheartening,” said Romeo Ignacio, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505.

He renewed the union’s calls for a transit security force.

“Without consequences, without enforcement, people are free to do whatever they want (on buses) — and that’s our concern,” Ignacio said.

The sex crimes unit has asked anyone with information to contact investigators at 204-986-6245 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @erik_pindera