BREAKING NEWS: Canmore abduction and assault suspect arrested

Submitted

Canmore resident Jorge Betancourt, 37, was located and arrested by RCMP in Whistler in connection with an incident where an eight-year-old girl was lured into a public washroom.

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RCMP report that a Canmore man being sought for the alleged abduction and sexual assault of an eight-year-old girl has been located and arrested in Whistler, B.C.

Early on Thursday (Feb. 16), police were asking for the public’s help in locating Jorge Betancourt, 37, who was suspected of physically pulling a child into the washroom of a public building in Cannore and then committing the act of verbally inviting a sexual act on Wednesay (Feb. 15) at about 1 p.m.

RCMP said the girl managed to run from the washroom and, although quite shaken by the incident, was not physically harmed.

By Thursday afternoon, police reported Betancourt had been located and arrested without incident in Whistler. The investigation continues and arrangements are being made to return Betancourt to Canmore for a court appearance.

Betancourt has been charged with one count each of abduction and invitation to sexual touching. He is also currently on release conditions from an unrelated incident in Banff and has been charged with breaching those.

At the time of the RCMP asking for public assistance in locating Betancourt, Sgt. Dave Brunner said the incident did not occur in a school, but added the location was not being released due to the ongoing investigation.

“In our national priority of safe homes and safe communities, we rely on community partners,” said Brunner of requesting the public’s assistance. “If we have an incident like this we want to locate this fellow as soon as possible.”

As well, Brunner said, anybody who may have been a witness to the incident is asked to give the local detachment a call at 403-679-5519.

Banff