The Sex Crimes Unit of the Calgary Police Service has arrested and charged a man wanted in connection with a sexual assault that happened fifteen years ago.
At about 12:30 p.m. on July 6, 1999, a woman was on the back patio of her home in Hidden Valley with her baby when she stepped inside momentarily.
As she was returning outside, she was confronted by a stranger.
The man physically and sexually assaulted her in the kitchen. The woman stabbed him with a pen and eventually the suspect took off.
The woman, whose baby wasn't hurt during the attack, called police immediately.
However, in spite of their investigation, police were unable to find a suspect and the incident became a cold case.
In 2011, advances in DNA testing led to police identifying a suspect in the case, effectively reopening the investigation.
Police said in a news conference that it was the pen used by the victim that finally led them to make the arrest.
"We have two Cold Case and Sex Crime detectives that are dedicated to our cold case files. None of our cases are ever closed and, with the advances in technology, it's amazing because we are getting DNA hits to offenders that are 10, 15 years old because we have them in the database. So, absolutely it is helping with our investigation," says Staff Sergeant Bev Voros with the Calgary Police Service.
On March 28, 2014, a Canada-wide warrant was issued for the arrest of William James Brookshaw, 40, of Fort Saint John, B.C.
Brookshaw was arrested and returned to Calgary on April 2.
He is charged with:
- Overcome resistance by choking
- Sexual assault
- Break and enter
