Close X
Sunday, November 24, 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

    Trudeau, Freeland Meet Mexico’s USMCA Point Man To Get Deal To Finish Line

    OTTAWA - A top Mexican diplomat says issues that Democrats in the United States have raised about the new North American free-trade agreement are valid, but not an impediment to getting the deal finalized by end of year.    

    Trudeau, Freeland Meet Mexico’s USMCA Point Man To Get Deal To Finish Line

    Halifax Police Apologize To Black Community For Pain Caused By Street Checks

    Halifax Police Apologize To Black Community For Pain Caused By Street Checks
    Halifax's police chief has issued a formal apology to Nova Scotia's black community today over the practice of street checks.    

    Halifax Police Apologize To Black Community For Pain Caused By Street Checks

    Scheer Heads To Conservative Heartland After A Bruising Week Of Challenges

    OTTAWA - Andrew Scheer heads into the Conservative heartland of Alberta on Friday where he'll make a pitch to some of the party's most fervent supporters about why he ought to keep his job as federal leader and how he intends to do it.    

    Scheer Heads To Conservative Heartland After A Bruising Week Of Challenges

    Hockey Reckoning Amid Renewed Call For Independent Body To Probe Abuse

    Hockey Reckoning Amid Renewed Call For Independent Body To Probe Abuse
    Former Olympic skier Allison Forsyth says if such an organization had existed in the late 1990s, it likely could have prevented her alleged abuse by coach Bertrand Charest.

    Hockey Reckoning Amid Renewed Call For Independent Body To Probe Abuse

    Despite U.S. Calls For More, Canada's Defence Spending Set To Stay The Same

    Despite U.S. Calls For More, Canada's Defence Spending Set To Stay The Same
    OTTAWA - Canadian military spending is expected to remain stagnant this year despite calls from the U.S. to step it up.

    Despite U.S. Calls For More, Canada's Defence Spending Set To Stay The Same

    Edmonton Mayor Says He Could Help Trudeau Deal With Angry Western Premiers

    Don Iveson said much of the anger on the Prairies is coming from economic uncertainty.

    Edmonton Mayor Says He Could Help Trudeau Deal With Angry Western Premiers