Local Mounties believe they’ve nabbed a man responsible for a number of indecent acts in North Burnaby for more than a year and are asking more victims to come forward.
On Wednesday, Burnaby RCMP announced the arrest of a suspect alleged to be behind multiple incidents of a man exposing himself to girls and women in North Burnaby between August 2015 and October of this year.
Police received numerous complaints from young victims ranging from 10 years old to 21, who were approached by a man driving a white pickup truck or SUV.
During the incidents, the man allegedly asked for directions to known landmarks like schools or shopping centres while masturbating in front of victims from the driver’s seat of his truck. Police note in some cases, the suspect left the area only to return and approach the victims for a second time.
Mounties were providing few details about the suspect and case, in part because the suspect has not been charged.
RCMP Staff-Sgt. Maj. John Buis said it’s not something RCMP usually do, but they’ve taken the unusual step to let the public know about the case in an effort to identify more victims.
Police can’t say how the suspect was arrested or where he’s from. But Buis said investigators believe there could be more victims.
“This is a crime and these people were shocked by it, and we want to make sure we have the strongest possible case,” he told the NOW.
RCMP are expected to provide more information about the suspect once he’s officially charged.
The suspect is described as a Caucasian man between the ages of 20 and 30, with a medium build, brown hair, brown beard, blue eyes and clean-cut.
Meanwhile, anyone who may have been a victim or has information about the man exposing himself is asked to contact Heather Montagliani with Burnaby RCMP’s investigative support team at 604-294-7922.
