Close X
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
ADVT 
National

Arrested 29-Year-Old Burnaby Groping Suspect Commits Further Sexual Assaults After Release On Conditions

Darpan News Desk, 12 Dec, 2019 08:50 PM

    After a six-month investigation, 29-year-old Burnaby resident, Jorge Benjamin Bernal has been charged with four counts of sexual assault in relation to alleged groping incidents that took place in Burnaby.


    On April 12, 2019, Burnaby RCMP responded to a report that a teenage girl had been groped from behind by a man on Hastings Street in North Burnaby. The victim alleged that a man had run up to her, grabbed her buttocks and attempted to engage in conversation. The man then fled from the area. Burnaby Frontline officers attended the scene, gathered CCTV footage from area and isolated video of the man believed to be responsible for the groping.


    On May 8, 2019, Burnaby RCMP responded to a similar incident involving a teenage girl. The victim stated that she had been groped from behind on WiIlingdon Avenue in North Burnaby. The victim told police that as she was walking, a man approached her from behind, grabbed her buttocks, and attempted to engage her in conversation. When the victim challenged the man he fled the area. CCTV footage from the area was obtained by Frontline officers and the man was identified as being the same person involved in the April 12, 2019 incident.


    In mid-May, the Burnaby RCMP’s High Risk Offender Unit (HRO) took over the investigation. Using intelligence gleaned through CCTV footage and interviews of the victims and witnesses, officers traced the suspects movements which assisted them in identifying him. The suspect was subsequently arrested at a residence in Burnaby on August 21, 2019.


    A search warrant executed at this residence resulted in officers obtaining clothing which matched the clothing worn by the suspect on CCTV images acquired earlier in the investigation.


    Bernal was arrested and released on conditions. After his release, he allegedly committed two further offences.


    On September 20, it is alleged that he inappropriately touched a case worker who had been assigned to work with him.


    On November 6, it is alleged that he groped a community support worker who was assisting him with finding accommodation.

    Th
    is was a traumatic experience for these victims and our High Risk Offender Unit has been working on this investigation as a priority for a number of months, says Inspector Matt Toews, Investigative Services Officer with Burnaby RCMP. These investigators left no stone unturned and their diligence has resulted in serious charges being laid against the suspect.


    The suspect is facing four counts of sexual assault in relation to all the incidents outlined above. He is currently out on bail and must abide by 22 conditions including no contact with anyone under the age of 16, not to travel on any public bus unless travelling to an approved meeting or appointment and to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.


    Jorge Benjamin Bernal will appear in Vancouver Provincial Court on January 15,2020.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Liberals Return With Minority Government In Election 2019

    Justin Trudeau has emerged from a bruising 40-day election campaign with his image tarnished and his grip on power weakened, needing the support of at least one party to maintain a minority Liberal government in a country bitterly divided.  

    Liberals Return With Minority Government In Election 2019

    WATCH: Justin Trudeau Thanks Morning Commuters In His Montreal Riding After Election Victory

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau showed up at a Metro station Tuesday in his Montreal riding of Papineau to thank his constituents for helping the Liberals secure a minority-government victory.

    WATCH: Justin Trudeau Thanks Morning Commuters In His Montreal Riding After Election Victory

    Jagmeet Singh Calls For Reform Of 'Broken' Voting System After NDP Falls Short In Quebec

    NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says there's nothing wrong with Canada — it's the electoral system that is broken and in need of repair.    

    Jagmeet Singh Calls For Reform Of 'Broken' Voting System After NDP Falls Short In Quebec

    Bangla Sahib To Be Differently-Abled, Senior Citizen-Friendly

    Bangla Sahib To Be Differently-Abled, Senior Citizen-Friendly
    The Delhi SGMC has initiated the movement to maintain, provide, renovate and repair existing infrastructure to ensure that the elderly and differently-abled have easy access to the gurdwara complex

    Bangla Sahib To Be Differently-Abled, Senior Citizen-Friendly

    Houston PD Honors Sikh Police Officer Sandeep Dhaliwal By Changing Religious Accommodation Policy

    “We are pleased that the nation’s fifth-largest police department has significantly expanded the ability for Sikhs and other religious minorities to serve with their articles of faith intact,” said Nikki Singh, Sikh Coalition Policy and Advocacy Manager.

    Houston PD Honors Sikh Police Officer Sandeep Dhaliwal By Changing Religious Accommodation Policy

    More Supports To Increase Number Of Trained Caregivers In BC

    The Province is taking action to further increase the number of qualified health care assistants in British Columbia to continue improving care for seniors.

    More Supports To Increase Number Of Trained Caregivers In BC