A 19-year-old man is facing a slew of charges after a violent sexual assault in the south end of Halifax.
Police say a man broke into a woman’s apartment on Fenwick Street and sexually assaulted her Wednesday morning.
Madeleine Hearns works next to Fenwick Tower, where police were called just before 11 a.m.
“My employer sent around a notice saying stay where you’re at,” says Hearns.
Police say someone in the building heard the commotion and tried to help the woman. The suspect then fled the scene.
“I didn’t witness it, but other people who did witness it said the police were chasing the person,” says Hearns.
Police caught the suspect a few blocks away.
“We don’t believe she knew her assailant,” says Const. Pierre Bourdages. “She was transported to hospital to be treated for non life-threatening injuries.”
Crown prosecutor Rick Woodburn says Loay Abdelrahnan is facing several charges in connection with the alleged attack.
“One of the charges is aggravated assault that carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. There’s also an unlawful confinement (charge),” says Woodburn.
“She’s a brave young lady who managed to survive.”
Abdelrahnan is also accused of assaulting the woman with a coffee pot and trying to choke her.
The alleged attack has left many residents in the area on edge.
“I didn’t hear anything about that. It’s actually scared,” says Qian Yu, who lives in Fenwick Towers. “I shocked when I hear from you.”
“It makes me really scared, you know,” says Christina Richard. “I mean, there’s a lot of students in this area, a lot of young people.”
The Crown opposed Abdelrahnan’s release. He has been sent to the East Coast Forensic Hospital for an assessment and is due back in court Tuesday.
When he appeared in court today, Abdelrahnan insisted he doesn’t want a lawyer and would rather represent himself – something the judge strongly advised him to reconsider, noting the severity of the charges.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Jacqueline Foster
