On May 6, 2009 at 3:30 p.m., an eastbound female motorist departing Russell on provincial highway #45 stopped for a man hitchhiking. He stated he was going to Rossburn. Once inside the vehicle, he assaulted the driver, forcing her to travel a short distance down an adjacent gravel road.
The woman was able to distract the man, escape the vehicle near a rural farmsite and call 911. The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival. RCMP units from Russell, Rossburn, Waywayseecappo, Shoal Lake, Elphinstone and Hamiota Detachments were dispatched, assisted by the Yorkton RCMP Police Dog Service and Dauphin Forensic Identification Unit, conducting an extensive search of the area for the male. Efforts were unsuccessful in locating the suspect.
The man is described as aboriginal in appearance, 6’0 tall, medium build, early twenties, clean shaven, wearing a dark baseball hat, long brown hair in a pony tail, worn through the hole in the hat. He was wearing a black jacket with a hood, possibly a wind-breaker style with two large front pockets.
The motorist, a 42 year-old rural Russell resident, suffered minor injuries in the incident, and did not require hospitalization.
Police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect. Anyone traveling on highway #45 near Russell who may have seen a hitchhiker in the Russell vicinity, or the white late model two door thunderbird driven by the motorist is asked to contact Russell RCMP at (204) 773-2105, or Manitoba Crime Stoppers.
Yellowhead Area RCMP, assisted by Dauphin Forensic Identification and Brandon Major Crimes units continue to investigate.
Sgt. Matt Lavallee
(204) 773-3051
S/Sgt. Helmut Neufeld
(204) 759-2880
