By Luke Voogt
Detectives have arrested a man following the alleged sexual assault of a 90-year-old woman at a St Albans Park aged care facility on Sunday morning.
Sexual Crimes Squad detectives arrested the 23-year-old St Albans Park man shortly after 9am on Monday following a public appeal for information on the incident.
Police alleged the elderly woman woke to find a man sexually assaulting her in her home at Tannoch Brae Aged Care on Aldershot Road about 4.45am.
“A staff member disturbed the offender and the offender ran off,” Detective Acting Inspector Mark Burnett told a press conference on Sunday afternoon.
“The 90-year-old female victim, she’s a fighter. She fought the attacker.
“She was able at one point to activate her personal distress alarm and that’s resulted in nursing staff attending and scaring away, after confronting, the attacker.
“It’s a very confronting incident.”
Detective Inspector Burnett said the woman was taken to hospital after suffering injuries in the incident.
Sexual Crimes Squad detectives investigated the incident with assistance from Geelong Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team detectives, other local police and the Major Crime Scene Unit.
“I understand how much concern an incident like this causes in the community, so being able to make an arrest in just over 24 hours is reassuring,” Detective Inspector Burnett said.
“Locating the person responsible has been a significant priority for Sexual Crime Squad investigators ever since the matter was reported to police.
“Our thoughts are with the victim and her family at this time and they will be offered a range of support services.
“I’d also like to thank the community and the media for all their support in sharing the information we released yesterday.”
Police took the man to Victoria Police Centre in Melbourne where they are currently interviewing him.
