Winnipeg police have a man and a teen in custody after Rinelle Harper was attacked and left for dead on the weekend.
Sixteen-year-old Harper was found Saturday morning near the Assiniboine River.
Paramedics took Harper to hospital in critical condition Saturday. She has since been upgraded to stable.
Rinelle Harper, was found unconscious after being viciously beaten on Nov. 8, 2014 along the Assiniboine River in Winnipeg.
In a rare move, police revealed the victim’s name with her parents’ permission, hoping it would help them find information related the case.
Police said the victim was with friends and became separated from them while in downtown Winnipeg. Two males struck up a conversation with her and they began walking with her around midnight on Nov. 8.
"They walked to the riverwalk, and once down there, the males turned on Rinelle," said Supt. Danny Symth from Winnipeg police.
Harper was attacked under the Donald Street bridge on Assiniboine Avenue near Donald Street.
"Rinelle managed to crawl out of the river a short distance away upstream and she was attacked a second time ... and left unconscious and essentially left for dead on the riverwalk," said Smyth.
A passerby found her around 7 a.m. on Nov. 8 and called authorities.
Police said investigators believe the suspects attacked a second female around 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 8, assaulting a 23-year-old woman in the area of Portage Avenue and Sherbrook Street. The woman was assaulted with a weapon to the upper body and sexually assaulted, said police.
"I think their crimes and the viciousness of them speaks for themselves. You know, I can't even pretend to describe what I think they were thinking," said Smyth.
Due to the seriousness of the initial attack against Rinelle, the homicide unit launched an investigation.
Officers said the suspects remain in custody.
Justin James Hudson, 20, from Winnipeg faces charges for attempted murder, aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault with a weapon, said police.
A male youth, who turned 17 on Friday, faces the same charges.
Officers arrested the suspects on Nov. 11. Police put a call out asking for the public’s help Monday. They say the response was overwhelming.
"Our homicide investigators started to receive calls within hours of that release,” said Symth.
Questions also arose Wednesday over possible connections to the killing of teen Tina Fontaine. Her body was found dumped in the Red River in August.
"We don't have any information right now that would suggest these men were involved with the Tina Fontaine investigation," said Smyth. "That being said, we really had little, if any, contact with these men before this. We will certainly take a closer look at them now."
- with a report from Cheryl Holmes and files from The Canadian Press
