46-year-old arrested, charged with assault after student was attacked at U of Manitoba residence hall

A 46-year-old man has been arrested and charged with assault after a student was attacked early Friday morning while she slept in her student residence at the University of Manitoba.

Winnipeg police said Friday that a man entered the Arthur V. Mauro Residence on Dafoe Road, on the U of M’s south Winnipeg campus, and then forced his way into the victim’s room at 4:45 a.m. while she slept.

The woman fought off the intruder after he entered her room and physically assaulted her. She was treated for injuries and was in stable condition, police said Friday afternoon.

They released images of security video showing the suspect in the attack, along with a description of the man.

Around 11 p.m. Friday, officers responded to a call from a person who saw a man matching that description along the southbound stretch of Pembina Highway, police said in a Saturday update.

They found him in the 1800 block of Pembina Highway, north of Abinoji Mikanah. He was arrested and handed over to the police sex crimes unit.

They say they determined that Garry Junior Edwards, 46, entered the residential building and broke into a secure area, then into the victim’s room.

Edwards is facing a number of charges, including assault, theft and several counts of burglary, as well as a charge of attempting to overcome resistance by choking, suffocating or strangling someone.

Winnipeg police say anyone who has experienced sexual assault can access victim services at 204-986-6350 or through the Clinic’s Sexual Assault Crisis Line at 204-786-8631.