City police yesterday were still waiting for a possible victim of assault to fill in the events leading up to her being found almost naked, beaten and semi-conscious in a wooded area of Carlington Park on the weekend.
“We’re not able to get a statement from her right now,” Staff-Sgt Don Sweet said yesterday. “She’s in and out of consciousness. We’re waiting to hear what she has to say.”
Sweet said yesterday that police are canvassing residents in the area.
At 8:20 a.m. on Saturday, a man and his grandson out for a walk with their dog found the woman. The victim, a white female in her 30s whose identity police did not release, was taken to Ottawa Civic Hospital, where she was treated for serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
“It’s such a mystery to us right now how she came to be the victim of this assault,” said Sweet.
“We have no reason to believe that there is someone preying on people,” said Sweet. “The public doesn’t need to fear for their safety any more than normal. Just be smart and safe and stay in well-lit areas.”
Area resident Steve Sauve was out for a walk with his grandson, Cody, 8, and his Australian Shepherd/collie cross, Roxy, when the dog ran into the bush.
When the dog started barking and didn’t return, Sauve and his grandson entered the bush, where they found Roxy standing about 10 feet away from the victim.
Sauve said the woman was lying on her side, her bare back exposed.
“There was some moaning,” said Sauve, who ran to a neighbour’s to call for help.
Sauve said the area “is getting worse” for crime in recent years and that he’ll bypass the area in the future.
“We won’t be returning to the area for a while,” he said.
