Overview
- Two women walking eight dogs along Gardiners Creek in Kooyong were allegedly ambushed by a man who jumped from bushes on Tuesday, and their dogs chased him into a Monash Freeway tunnel where a piece of his clothing was torn.
- Footage filmed by one of the victims shows multiple dogs pursuing the suspect and at least one dog making contact with his leg, a recording police say helps corroborate the victims' accounts.
- Investigators from the Bayside Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team are treating the matter as an attempted sexual assault and police deployed the Air Wing and Dog Squad during early inquiries.
- Police have released a facial composite and a description of the suspect — described as of African appearance wearing black tracksuit pants, a black and grey hooded top, white socks, slides and carrying a bright blue backpack — and say he remains unidentified and at large.
- Authorities have asked the public to check CCTV and dashcam footage and to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, with the case prompting calls for greater vigilance by park users and likely short-term increases in police patrols in the area.