A Burnaby man has been charged in connection with the death of a 53-year-old Tsawwassen man, following an altercation at the Rose and Crown Pub in December 2016.
Franco Sarra, 20, faces a charge of manslaughter in relation to the death of Russ Armfelt.
Sarra was arrested by police in Vancouver Wednesday without incident. He remains in police custody and made his first appearance in Surrey provincial court Thursday.
Police say Sarra and Armfelt were known to each other.
Previously, DPD said Armfelt was located unconscious and unresponsive early in the morning Dec. 11, 2016 outside the rear of the pub. Despite efforts of paramedics to revive him, he later died in hospital. His death was regarded as suspicious.
“Russ Armfelt’s death was a shock to our community,” said DPD Chief Neil Dubord. “I want to thank the community and Mr. Armfelt’s friends and family for their patience, as this allowed our investigators the time to diligently take the needed steps, so they could bring us to the point we’re at today.
“Investigators updated Mr. Armfelt’s family yesterday with this news, and I can relay that they are feeling a bit numb right now. This day was a long time coming, and it’s hard for them to believe. Our hope is that they can now start to find a bit a closure with this news.”
In October several of Armfelt’s friends held a rally in Tsawwassen to keep his death in the public eye and continue to push for justice.
Linda Hayes, who organized the rally, was happy to hear the news that a charge was laid when contacted by the Optimist Thursday morning.
“I’m relieved, but I fear that there won’t be the type of sentence handed out that befits taking a life,” Hayes said. “I hope that the Delta police are not done. I miss my friend.”
Hayes said the news of the charge however, doesn’t provide much closer.
“There is not a day I don’t miss him,” she said.
