Winnipeg boy escapes masked man who tried to grab him, police seek suspect

Police say they’re investigating a report of a suspicious man grabbing a middle-school aged child who was walking home for lunch Tuesday in Winnipeg’s West End.
The boy was walking from Banning Street to Einarson Avenue, police said, when the unknown man approached, said something, and grabbed hold of him.
After a brief struggle, the boy, who wasn’t physically hurt, managed to break free and run home, where a parent called police. The man was last seen heading north near Banning and St. Matthews Avenue, and may have crossed through Orioles Park.
The suspect is described as wearing a plaid shirt, blue jeans, and had a blue ski mask covering his face.
Police said they’ve been in contact with Greenway School, and area families have been notified about the incident.
Anyone with information or video surveillance that might help investigators is asked to call he child abuse unit at 204-986-3296 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).