Halifax Regional Police have released the sketch of a suspect they believe is connected to a number of sleep-watching incidents in the city’s south end.
Over the past year, police say there have been 14 reports of a man breaking into the residences of young women living in Halifax’s south end to watch them sleep.
“Our belief at this point is it is the same person involved in all of them, but due to the fact we’ve had limited information on a number of these incidents, we haven’t ruled out the fact that there may be another person involved,” police spokesman Const. Brian Palmeter said Thursday.
The most recent case occurred Saturday morning, when a 19-year-old woman on the 1700 block of Henry Street awoke to find an unknown man watching her sleep around 4:40 a.m. The victim awoke, police say, causing the suspect to flee the scene on foot.
While the suspect wasn’t found, police say the victim has provided enough information for a sketch of the suspect, which was released to the media Thursday with the hopes of someone being able to identify him.
In all of these sleep-watching cases, the victims have described the suspect as a white man in his early- to mid-20s.
“We’re hoping somebody will recognize him and come forward … with the information that will help us identify him and hopefully make an arrest in these cases,” Palmeter said.
No one has been hurt in the 14 incidents, but police are concerned “the intruder’s actions may escalate”, a release said Thursday. Police also remind residents to be vigilant in keeping their homes secure, especially before going to sleep.
Anyone with information in this case is asked to contact HRP at 490-5016 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
