New images have been released of a person of interest after a pack of dogs saved two women from an African man who allegedly tried to sexually assault them in Melbourne.
One is a still image of a man believed to be between 18 and 22 that was captured near the Fritsch Holzer Reserve in Hawthorn East about half an hour after the alleged incident, which too place in Kooyong on Tuesday morning.
The photo shows the suspect walking along a residential street about 3km from the scene of the attack, wearing a blue backpack but with no mask or hood on.
The other image is an enhanced photo of the man running from the women’s eight dogs after he allegedly tried to grab them both as they walked along Gardiners Creek at about 11.30am.
View this post on Instagram
Police previously released a facial composite of a man they wish to speak to in relation to the alleged incident, and described him as “of African appearance wearing black tracksuit pants, white socks, slides, black and grey hooded top and was wearing a black face covering”.
The women, a 67-year-old from Toorak and a 39-year-old from Glen Iris, who are believed to be professional dog walkers, said he lunged for one of them and grabbed a hold of her neck and shoulders, before telling the other he wanted to have sex with her in a nearby tunnel.
Video of the incident shared by 3AW’s Jacqui Felgate shows the eight dogs running after the man and chasing him into the tunnel under the Monash Freeway, and one of the them managed to tear a piece of the attacker’s pants off.
The scrap of clothing is now being forensically examined.
Header image: Left, right, the man running away from the dogs (3AW).
