Teen arrested in downtown groping incidents after being spotted by patrol officer, Winnipeg police say

Police arecrediting an observant officer with spottingthe teenage maleaccused ofgroping two peoplein downtown Winnipeg.

On Tuesday around 4:40 p.m., an officer patrolling a downtown skywalksaw a teenager who matched thedescription of a suspect in the sexual assaults, police said in a media release Wednesday.

The 15-year-old malewas taken into custody near Portage Avenue andVaughan Street.

Police said the first assault happened Friday at about 7:50 a.m. A woman in her30s was walking through theskywalkbetween BellMTSPlace andCityplaceShopping Centre, when a man came up to her and grabbed her, police said.

A second woman in her late teens was attacked Saturday at about 9:15 a.m. while she was heading through the walkway between the downtown YMCA and Portage Place Shopping Centre. A man approached her from behind and grabbed her.

Winnipeg police issued a second public warning about thegropingson Tuesday, after learning of a thirdincident where a male"actedsuspiciously" around a womanin her late teens at around 6:45 a.m. on Saturday at Portage Place Shopping Centre.

Though descriptions of the male's appearance differed, police said last weekend theybelieved the events are related.

The 15-year-oldwas arrested ontwo counts of sexual assault. He was released from custody on a promise to appear.