Edmonton police are asking the public to look closely at two images: CCTV footage and a composite sketch of a man they believe sexually assaulted a woman in southwest Edmonton this spring.
The assault happened on April 18 at about 11:40 p.m., police say, as the woman was walking from a business plaza in the area of Saddleback Road and 27 Avenue in the city's Blue Quill area. The Edmonton Police Service says the man forcefully grabbed her and sexually assaulted her.
He hasn't been identified. But police know something unusual about him, and it's the reason this appeal may work.
He came back
Nine days after the assault, on April 27, the same man was seen in the same business plaza. From there, he was observed entering a residence in the area of Saddleback Road and 112 Street.
Police haven't said more than that, but the detail matters. A suspect who returns to the same plaza within days and walks into a home a few blocks away isn't passing through. It's why investigators are putting the images in front of the public: somebody in that neighbourhood has almost certainly seen this man at the mailbox, in the parking lot, or in line at the plaza, and the sketch plus CCTV may be enough for a neighbour to make the connection police can't.
Who police are looking for
The suspect is described as a male with a heavy build, facial hair and glasses. He was last seen wearing a black and blue jacket, a black hat, dark pants, and black and white shoes.
The CCTV images and composite sketch are posted with the EPS release at edmontonpolice.ca, and they're worth the look even if you don't live in the southwest, people work, shop and visit across the city.
What police have said, and just as importantly, what they haven't
The release describes one reported assault, one victim, one suspect. Police have not said this man is connected to any other incident, have not described him as a serial offender, and have not issued any broader warning for the area.
That's worth stating plainly, because appeals like this one tend to grow in the retelling, and by the time they've cycled through neighbourhood Facebook groups, one incident has become a pattern and a suspect has become a prowler. The facts as police have released them are serious enough on their own. If the EPS connects this to anything further, that would come as its own release, and we'll report it.
What police have also not announced is an arrest. The man in the images is sought for identification, and until police say otherwise, that's the status of the case.
Why this is surfacing three months later
A note on the timeline, because readers reasonably wonder why an April assault is being publicized in July. Police say the report came in earlier this year, and public appeals like this one typically follow only after investigators have exhausted what CCTV review, canvassing and other avenues can produce on their own. Releasing a suspect's image is usually a later step, not a first one, partly because a public appeal works best when police can pair footage with a sketch, which takes time to produce with the victim.
In other words, this release means the investigation is active and out of quieter options, and the public is now the option.
Support exists, and there's no deadline to report
Two things worth knowing beyond this case.
For anyone affected by sexual violence, in this case or any other, support is available whether or not police are ever involved. The Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton operates a support line at 780-423-4121, and Alberta's One Line for Sexual Violence takes calls and texts at 1-866-403-8000. Both offer confidential support and can walk through options, including reporting, without any obligation to pursue charges.
And on reporting: there is no time limit for reporting sexual assault to police in Canada. This case is itself proof of how that works in practice, the April assault was reported, investigated for months, and is now an active public appeal. A report made weeks, months or years after an assault is still a report police will take.
How to help
Anyone with information can contact the EPS at 780-423-4567, or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous tips go to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at p3tips.com/250.
If you recognize the man in the images, even without certainty, that's still a tip worth making. Identifications from partial recognition are exactly what these appeals are built for, and investigators sort the maybes.
Sources:
Edmonton Police Service, media release, July 21, 2026: https://www.edmontonpolice.ca/News/MediaReleases/assisttoIDJuly212026
