 Good morning everyone. Thank you for being here. Sometimes we solve cases overnight and sometimes it takes a bit longer. And in some cases, like the one I'm going to tell you about today, it can feel like we're never going to catch the break that we need. But I'm here to tell you that no matter how long it takes, no matter how many roadblocks are put in our way, we'll work as long and as hard as we need to in order to get the job done. Even when a case goes cold, we never stop investigating. We never give up hope that one day we'll find the missing clue that will solve a crime, especially when that crime is something as invasive and violating as sexual assault. My name is Fiona Wilson. I'm the Deputy Chief of the Investigation Division here at the Vancouver Police Department. I oversee a number of different investigative sections, including the major crime section, the organized crime section, and the special investigations section, which includes the Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit. And I'm here today with Superintendent Lisa Verne, who I work closely with, and a number of our members from the Vancouver Police Department. I've been a police officer since 1999 and cases like the one I'm here to talk to you about today is the reason I joined the VPD almost 25 years ago. They're the kind of cases that give us the drive to never give up even long after a case has gone cold. This investigation began nearly 15 years ago on Canada Day of 2009. In the early morning hours, a 20-year-old woman was attacked by a stranger and sexually assaulted walking near Granville Island. The assault was violent and unprovoked, and though a witness intervened, the suspect got away. We immediately launched an investigation, collected evidence, and supported the victim. However, we did not identify the suspect. When this investigation started, we had just that one original case. But in the coming months, it grew to include others. On November 15, 2009, a second unprovoked sexual assault occurred. In that case, a 25-year-old woman was attacked from behind and sexually assaulted while entering an apartment building in the West End. Again, the suspect fled and was not immediately caught. The attacker struck a third time seven months later, on June 12, 2010, when a woman was sexually assaulted in Yale Town. On Christmas Eve 2010, in an incident like the others, a woman was attacked by a stranger and sexually assaulted while walking downtown. And like in the other cases, the attacker managed to flee before the police arrived. It was clear that young women were being targeted by a predator in the downtown core, and with evidence collected in each case, we soon theorized that one person could be responsible for all four stranger attacks. We started project scrimmage with dozens of VPD investigators working this case. They analyzed and reviewed evidence, poured over investigative notes, and searched for new leads. As well as traditional investigative methods, we also started what was considered at the time to be an innovative strategy of leveraging technology. We created a dedicated website and placed QR codes in the washroom stalls of downtown clubs and bars with hopes that someone would come forward with a missing piece of evidence we needed. And many of you may be aware of the events that unfolded at that time. Our persistence paid off and we eventually obtained evidence linking the cases. Although we received some tips, the cases went cold until recently, and we did not know who had committed the crimes. And that, of course, was a massive cause for concern. I've been doing this job long enough to know that perseverance is needed to find the truth. And more often than not, if we stay true to our investigative processes, the moment will come when the truth is revealed. I can't tell you exactly what the new evidence was that finally led to us breaking open this case. That will likely form part of the upcoming criminal proceeding. And because of that, I really shouldn't discuss it here today. What I can tell you, though, is that this new evidence proved critical to us identifying a suspect in these cold cases. Last month, investigators from our sex crimes unit traveled to Regina, Saskatchewan. With help from the Regina Police Service, they arrested a 45-year-old suspect in connection with the unsolved crimes. Arturo Garcia Gorgian was brought back to Vancouver and has since been charged with four counts of sexual offenses that occurred between July 1, 2009 and December 24, 2010. Gorgian does not have a prior criminal record and was released from custody by the courts. We've been in contact with the four women who were sexually assaulted in these cases, and they have been updated on these new developments. While it would be completely inappropriate for me to speak for them, I imagine they are now processing a wide range of emotions. It's an intensely personal decision for any victim of a violent crime to come forward and share their story with police. We owe it to those who do so to do everything we can to support them, to identify the people responsible, and to hold those offenders accountable. I know none of this will change what happened to these women and I suspect nothing will permanently erase the trauma they've lived with. However, I do hope this arrest and these charges begin to provide the answers and accountability that has been missing for so many years. I applaud the courage and strength they've shown throughout this lengthy investigation, which must still work its way through the court system. And while I'm the one standing talking to you today about these cases, I also want to thank everyone at the Vancouver Police Department who played a role in solving this very serious series of crimes. Some of those people are in the room with us today. There are far too many people to thank by name, but please know I am incredibly proud of the work you have done. Cases like this are the reason police officers get up in the morning. They're also the things that keep us up at night. These cases would not have been solved without the courageous women who came forward to share their stories and without the tireless investigators who dedicated themselves to tracking down the person who has now been charged with these crimes.