NEWS RELEASE
HAMILTON POLICE
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Hamilton Police are warning the public after a 22-year-old male accused of violent sexual assaults was recently released on bail.
Thanks to the extensive efforts of investigators, Leikeze Cheruiyot was located living in the United States and extradited to Canada in November 2024. He appeared at a bail hearing on Feb. 10, 2025, and was released pending his trial.
These were violent incidents that targeted vulnerable victims.
On Wednesday, July 13, 2022, at approximately 9:30 a.m., a woman was walking in the area of Upper Paradise and Donnici Drive when she was approached by an unknown male and dragged off the trail into a wooded area. The victim was gagged and her wrists bound behind her back. The male proceeded to assault her, but was interrupted by witnesses walking by the area. The suspect fled on foot southbound towards Upper Paradise and was later seen on video in the area of Edgehill Drive.
On Aug. 7, 2023, a 74-year-old female was alone in her residence on the West Mountain when an unknown male entered her residence and confronted her when she was sleeping. The male assaulted the victim for over an hour before leaving the residence on foot. Again, investigators were unable to identify the suspect.
In January 2024, forensic evidence enabled investigators to connect the 2022 and 2023 assaults to the same male suspect. Hamilton Police assembled a project team to identify and locate the offender.
Through the course of the investigation, Hamilton Police detectives have information that lead them to believe Cheruiyot remains a threat to the community and are taking steps to warn the public by releasing Cheruiyot’s photo.
If you have any additional information that could help in these investigations, please call Detective Constable Ben Kingdon at 905-540-5543 or email at [email protected]. To provide information anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 of submit your anonymous tips online at http://www.crimestoppershamilton.com.
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