Police have issued a public safety alert after an unknown man sexually assaulted a child inside an Etobicoke home over the weekend and then potentially returned to the same address the next day.

According to police, the man entered the home near Renforth Drive and Burnhamthorpe Road sometime between 11 p.m. and midnight on Saturday and proceeded to sexually assault a child before fleeing the scene.

It is further alleged that a man was then seen “prowling” in the backyard of the same home at around 11 p.m. the next night, though it is unclear whether it was the same suspect.

After the incidents were reported to police, officers canvassed the neighbourhood and learned of a number of other suspicious incidents that have taken place in an area bounded by Rathburn Road to the north, Bloor Street to the south, The West Mall to the east and Renforth Drive to the west.

The incidents include everything from prowling on personal property to indecent acts, police say.

“Although these other incidents are of great concern to the police, we have no evidence to link them with the reported sexual assault at this time. However, the investigation continues with witness interviews and additional canvasses of the neighbourhood,” the public safety alert states.

One resident, who only wanted to be identified by his first name Michael, said that he had a run-in with a prowler two days earlier. He said his lights were disabled and the valves of his barbeque had all been opened. He later discovered something was missing from his property.

“They did do DNA here at the house,” said Michael. “Hopefully that will tie in to something that happened in his past that will help them find this guy.”

The suspect in the sexual assault is described as white, in his late 20s to 30s, about five-foot-eight to five-foot-nine with short dark hair. He was last seen wearing a dark-coloured jacket.

Speaking with CP24 about the investigation on Thursday morning, Insp. Dominic Sinopoli urged anyone with relevant information or surveillance camera footage to come forward.

“We are interested in the public checking their surveillance cameras particular between Saturday, July 28 and Monday, July 30 for any suspicious activity that may have come into view and in addition to that we also want residents in that area that may have seen something they thought was suspicious, but perhaps didn’t report it, to give us call and let us know about it,” he said.

Police say they have received numerous tips, but as of Thursday evening, no arrests had been made.