A man who allegedly grabbed a woman by her neck and sexually assaulted her in Nanaimo yesterday has been arrested.
Brett Ranger, 35, is charged with one count of sexual assault and appeared in provincial court in Nanaimo earlier Tuesday, March 28, said a Nanaimo RCMP press release. He has been remanded until April 4. Ranger is of no fixed address.
According to an RCMP media release, a 27-year-old woman said she was approached from behind after 1:15 p.m. on Monday, March 27 on Victoria Road in Nanaimo. The victim broke free and ran to her workplace where a fellow employee was able to snap a picture of the suspect, the press release said.
The victim called 911 and with the picture posted to social media and numerous police officers searching for the suspect, he was arrested without incident within 90 minutes at a nearby home.
Reserve Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesperson, lauded the victim for her actions.
“The victim in this incident did everything correct,” O’Brien said in the press release. “She fought back, she made noise, she told someone and reported the incident to the police. Then, by using her phone, a picture of the suspect was shared across social media, which ultimately lead to his timely arrest.”
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karl.yu@nanaimobulletin.com
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