Toronto police on the hunt for person behind multiple assaults at TTC stations

Toronto police are searching for a serial assaulter who has been attacking victims in TTC stations, and the force is now asking for the public's help in the hunt.

Authorities issued a call for information on Sunday following two separate incidents in which transitgoers were assaulted while waiting for subway trains.

In the first encounter, which took place around 7 a.m. on Thursday, a person was approached, physically assaulted and knocked to the ground at Victoria Park Station on the Bloor-Danforth line.

Later the same day, a woman was sexually assaulted seven stations west on the platform at Chester Station by what is believed to be the same suspect, described as a thin male between 5'7" and 5'9".

Suspect for identification in two assaults, Victoria Park Subway Station and Chester Subway Station Image released https://t.co/NujXcfqP1G

— Toronto Police (@TorontoPolice) June 20, 2021

Though he fled both scenes before the cops arrived, the perpetrator was caught on camera wearing a large dark blue coat and red baseball hat, and had a black mountain bike and brown duffel bag on him.

The situation is particularly unnerving given how eerily quiet the TTC has been over the last 15 months due to pandemic lockdown and work-from-home trends.

Ridership has been, even this spring, at only about 26 per cent of its pre-COVID levels, making for unusually empty vehicles and stations on many lines — perhaps prime grounds for such crimes.

Hopefully the creep will be apprehended ASAP; and in the meantime, commuters will want to remain hyper vigilant while waiting for transit, and avoid being alone on platforms for any length of time.