(SHELBURNE, ON) – On Sunday July 27, 2014, in the early evening hours, members of the Shelburne Police Service responded to a report of a serious assault which had taken place in a secluded and wooded area in the northwest section of the Town of Shelburne.
From the investigation which followed, police have determined that a 14-year old female had sustained serious injuries in the attack and was subsequently transported to a Toronto area hospital. Police arrested a 19-year old male a short time later and he has remained in custody since his arrest.
The ongoing investigation is continuing under the direction of Detective Staff Sergeant Gilles Depratto of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) and members of the Shelburne Police Service. Additional resources also being utilized have included the Central Region Emergency Response Team (ERT) and the OPP Forensic Identification Services Unit (FISU).
Initially, Jade COWAN of Shelburne, Ontario, upon his arrest, was charged with one count of Aggravated Assault. Detectives assigned to the investigation have now laid additional criminal charges which include:
Attempt Murder
Aggravated Assault
Assault with a Weapon
Choking
Cowan is next scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice located in Orangeville on August 7, 2014 with respect to this incident.
Due to a court imposed publication ban, no further details regarding this investigation can be released at this time.
Police are appealing to the public as they continue to search for black coloured clothing that may have been discarded in the northwest section of the Town of Shelburne. If anything is located, please contact Sergeant Mark Bennett or Cst. Paul Neumann of the Shelburne Police Service at (519)925-2962.