Halifax Regional Police have let a man go without charging him in relation to a string of disturbing incidents during which women have woken up to find a strange man in their bedrooms.
Staff Sgt. Brenda Zima confirmed officers arrested a man early Friday morning “a short distance away” from the latest break-and-enter on College Street, but added he was released from custody Saturday.
“He matched the description that we were given by the female occupant of the resident,” Zima said yesterday. “He was taken into custody and investigated and at this time he’s been released without charges, pending further investigation.”
Police said in a news release that officers responded to the 5900 block of the south-end Halifax street at about 4:20 a.m.
“When the suspect realized the victim was awake, he ran out of the house,” the release said, adding the man was arrested less than 15 minutes later on Carlton Street. “The woman was understandably shaken, but thankfully not injured.”
Zima explained police “only have 24 hours to either hold them or charge them and if we don’t have enough evidence to charge them at the time, we release them.
“It doesn’t mean that we won’t charge them in the future,” she said. Zima couldn’t comment as to whether the man who has been questioned is still a suspect.
Police have investigated 14 similar cases, where young women were watched while sleeping, in the area near Dalhousie University, since last September.
– with files from The Canadian Press
