Man faces multiple charges in foot-related assaults, footwear thefts in Ontario

AURORA, Ont. – Police say they have arrested a suspect in connection with multiple sexual assaults involving feet and thefts of footwear in several communities north of Toronto.

York Regional Police say the first incident happened Nov. 19 in Richmond Hill, when a man went into a tanning salon and asked a female if he could see her shoe as he was shopping for shoes.

When she complied, police say the man smelled her shoe, then fled with it.

The next day, police say a man went into another a Richmond Hill tanning salon and began asking a female questions about her boots.

It’s alleged the man grabbed the victim’s leg, removed her boot and sock and licked her foot without her consent, then took both the boot and sock and fled the scene.

Similar incidents were reported at tanning salons in Aurora, Innisfil and Bradford.

Mattieu Petrin, 28, of Innisfil, is charged with four counts of sexual assault, three counts of theft under $5,000, sexual interference with a person under 16 and robbery.