Woman walking dog assaulted by stranger in Bowmanville, Ontario

A woman is recovering from an alleged assault involving a stranger while walking her dog yesterday in Bowmanville.

Durham Regional Police say shortly after 11 a.m., the woman was out walking her dog southbound on the pathway near Soper Creek Drive and Concession Street.

Shortly after, the woman was approached by a man whom she had never met, and he began talking to her.

When the victim turned around to leave, the suspect reportedly grabbed her by the neck and told her to come with him, police say.

With help from her dog, the victim was able to break free from the suspect.

The suspect then fled the scene, running north on the pathway toward Concession Street East.

Luckily, the victim didn’t sustain physical injuries.

Investigators describe the suspect as a Black man in his early 30s. He is approximately 6-foot-3 tall with a medium build. He has short dark hair, a goatee, and a large neck tattoo. He wore a navy zip-up windbreaker, navy athletic shorts, white socks, and dark athletic shoes.

Anyone with video footage, dash cam footage, or information about this incident is asked to contact A/Det. Duguay of the East Division Criminal Investigations Branch at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 1652.