Close X
Saturday, November 23, 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

    Sleigh Bells, Not Jail Cells: Langley RCMP

    Drinking rum and eggnog is a great way to celebrate the holidays. But if you’re drinking, just don’t drive—otherwise you could be stopped at a road check as part of a month-long Counter Attack campaign with ICBC and the province.

    Sleigh Bells, Not Jail Cells: Langley RCMP

    IIO Notified Of Incidents In Fort St John And Port Alberni

    IIO Notified Of Incidents In Fort St John And Port Alberni
    The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. has been notified of a police-involved incident in Fort St John and Port Alberni.

    IIO Notified Of Incidents In Fort St John And Port Alberni

    NDP Breaks Promise To Kids With Disabilities For Accessible School Playgrounds: Stephanie Cadieux

    Surrey South MLA Stephanie Cadieux Is Outraged Over The NDP’s Failed Promise To Deliver Universally Accessible Playgrounds.  

    NDP Breaks Promise To Kids With Disabilities For Accessible School Playgrounds: Stephanie Cadieux

    'Operation Mistletoe' Aims To Kiss Holiday Crime Goodbye In Surrey

    'Operation Mistletoe' Aims To Kiss Holiday Crime Goodbye In Surrey
    To help keep the season merry and bright, Surrey RCMP is unwrapping Operation Mistletoe, which aims to kiss holiday crime goodbye through targeted enforcement and prevention.

    'Operation Mistletoe' Aims To Kiss Holiday Crime Goodbye In Surrey

    10 Years Later: More Than 30,000 EVs On BC Road

    British Columbia has reached another milestone in the switch to electric vehicles (EVs): 10 years after the first EVs hit B.C. highways, there are now more than 30,000 on the road.  

    10 Years Later: More Than 30,000 EVs On BC Road

    Kelowna RCMP Seek Suspect, Public Assistance After Local Business Robbed

    Kelowna RCMP is seeking public assistance to identify a suspect in an armed robbery that occurred at a business in the 3000 Block of Gordon Drive.

    Kelowna RCMP Seek Suspect, Public Assistance After Local Business Robbed