Police have arrested a man in connection with a sexual assault that took place within a gated community on Hamilton Mountain last month.
On May 9, a man allegedly broke into a home located within a private community off of Upper James Street known as Twenty Place and sexually assaulted a woman in her 80s.
“This was particularly disturbing, as this was an elderly female residing alone,” Insp. Andrea Torrie said. “The offender entered her residence in the middle of the night and assaulted her.”
Following the assault, the man “fled out the door.”
The incident prompted an extensive police canvass of the surrounding neighbourhood.
Torrie said the incident shook the community and upended their sense of safety.
On Thursday, police arrested 27-year-old Nelson Melo at his Hamilton home and charged him with sexual assault, break-and-enter and uttering threats.
It remains unclear why Melo targeted the woman, and police say they do not know one another.
Police say they cannot comment on the nature of the woman’s injuries but did say that the victim “sustained significant stress from the attack.”
At this time, police have not made any other connections between Melo and other ongoing sexual assault investigations within the city.
Investigators are urging anyone with information about to the case to contact the force’s sex crimes unit at 905-546-8958.
READ MORE: Hamilton police investigating sexual assault near Gage Park