Hamilton man arrested in Westdale ‘prowler’ incidents

Hamilton police have arrested a 49-year-old man in connection with several “prowler” calls and break and enters in the city’s west end.

Steven Brady, of Hamilton, has been charged with two counts of break and enter, theft, fail to comply with probation as well as assault and possession of burglary tools.

Police allege Brady was involved in two break and enters in west Hamilton on Oct. 2 and 4. He was arrested on October 6. Investigators also believe he is linked to three prowler calls in the area on Sept. 4, 5, and 6. He is currently being held in custody.

Back in Sept., police increased their presence in the area surrounding McMaster University after receiving a number of concerning calls. In one incident, a woman was asleep in her second-storey bedroom with her boyfriend when she awoke to a creaking noise on the stairs. When she sat up, she saw a silhouette of a person standing in the bedroom doorway. The intruder then ran down the stairs and fled. In another incident, a woman was sexually assaulted by an unknown man. Other residents also reported seeing a suspicious man peering into a woman’s window.

Police say it is too early to link all the cases to this one arrest. They say they are still investigating incidents from August and September.

Investigators say they have seen a decrease in suspicious calls and break and enters in Westdale during October.

Brady was previously arrested on Sept. 21 for a separate break and enter where roughly $15,000 of DJ equipment and alcohol was taken from a Hamilton business.

Police are reminding residents to report any suspicious activity in the area to Hamilton Police at 905-546-4861, McMaster Security Dispatch at 905-525-9140, ext.24281 or 911 for a crime in progress.