Arrest of man wanted for attempted abduction of Wellesley, Ont. woman

An arrest has been made in the random attack and attempted abduction of a Wellesley, Ont. woman.

On Wednesday morning, the Waterloo Regional Police Service identified the suspect as David Sherk. The 50-year-old was in custody less than 10 hours later.

Police said someone spotted Sherk in Thorold, Ont. around 6:30 p.m. at a residential property on Commerford Street.

“Niagara Regional Police attended the area, located Mr. Sherk after a brief foot pursuit and he was arrested on the strength of our warrant,” said Insp. Kyle Lambert with WRPS. “Through the investigation we’ll have a better idea if he was hiding, or if he was going to flee further. We don’t know at this time.”

CTV News spoke to someone who witnessed Sherk's arrest and have decided not to identify them for their safety. They said Sherk had been inside the home for several hours before officers with Niagara Regional Police arrived to make the arrest. The witness also stated that Sherk knew the person who lived at the home.

When asked by CTV News why it so long for Niagara Regional Police to respond to the Commerford residence to arrest Sherk, the service said in an email: “Call volume and several priority calls delayed our response. Officers were sent as soon as they were available resulting in a successful arrest and transfer of custody to WRPS without incident.”

Police are trying to determine how Sherk got to Thorold and the motive for the attack in Wellesley. Those details, they explained, will likely come out through the court process.

Sherk has been charged with attempted kidnapping and assault with a weapon.

A photo of David Sherk provided by Waterloo Regional Police Service. (Courtesy: Waterloo Regional Police Service)

Search for Sherk

On Aug. 13, at around 11:30 a.m., a 49-year-old woman was attacked by a stranger at a property near Hessen Strasse and Greenwood Hill Road.

Police said the man threatened the woman with a knife and tried to force her into a vehicle.

When she escaped, the man drove away.

The abandoned vehicle was found by police a short time later.

Waterloo Regional Police officers search for a kidnapping suspect in Wellesley on Aug. 13, 2024. (Dave Pettitt/CTV News)

Believing the man could be hiding in a nearby wooded area, police asked nearby residents to ‘shelter in place.’

Canine units, drones and an OPP helicopter were brought in for the search.

It was called off five hours later.