A 33-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly locking a female cannabis store employee inside the shop with him and sexually assaulting her before fleeing with stolen products, according to police.
The incident occurred on May 5 at 7:15 p.m. at a retail cannabis store in the 100 block of Isabel Street.
Police say the suspect entered the store and waited for a customer to leave. He then locked himself inside with the lone employee — a 24-year-old woman — before going behind the counter and sexually assaulting her.
The victim pushed the man away and managed to flee the store uninjured. She immediately contacted police. The suspect left the scene on foot with an unknown quantity of cannabis products before officers arrived.
The following day, on May 6, Winnipeg Police Service’s Central District General Patrol officers located the suspect shortly before 1:00 a.m. in the 800 block of Main Street. He was arrested without incident.
The 33-year-old man faces charges of sexual assault, forcible confinement, and theft under $5,000. He was also arrested on the strength of a warrant for failing to comply with a probation order.
He was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court at a later date.
