Ezedi was convicted of a sexual assault in 2018 at Newcastle Crown Court and sources say he was given a suspended sentence for "sexual assault/exposure."
He was discharged from probation in 2020.
Ezedi has not been apprehended and is considered a fugitive.
Supt Gabriel Cameron from the police told reporters: "We are now naming the man we want to speak to as Abdul Shokoor Ezedi, who is aged 35. We believe he travelled down from Newcastle earlier that day. We don’t know yet what led to it. We’re working to establish the circumstances.
“A manhunt to trace Ezedi is under way. We are working with partner agencies and forces including the British Transport Police to locate and arrest him. If you see Ezedi, call 999 immediately. He should NOT be approached.
He has significant injuries to the right side of the face. We will catch him. I am wholeheartedly confident... We will catch the male."
One of his neighbors, Mohammad Hussain Nazary, also told reporters: "I’d see him around the area and he’d come in from time to time. He’s an Afghan and I assumed he was single because I never saw him with a partner or family, he was always on his own. He seemed like an ordinary harmless guy, certainly not someone you’d associate with something like this. He was around quite a lot but I haven’t seen him in maybe six or seven months."
The victims of the attack, a 3-year-old child and her mother, remain in the hospital with "life-changing injuries."
According to witnesses, Ezedi appeared to slam the child to the ground repeatedly in the attack. The mother is believed to be known to Ezedi.
This is a developing story. Refresh the page for updates.
