‘We never stop investigating’: Vancouver police arrest suspect in 4 cold-case sex assaults

A massive breakthrough in a series of sexual assault cases from more than 14 years ago has led to an arrest and charges for a 45-year-old suspect.

“Even when a case goes cold, we never stop investigating, and we never give up hope that we will one day find the missing clue that will solve a crime,” said Deputy Chief Const. Fiona Wilson with the Vancouver Police Department’s investigation division.

“I hope this arrest and these charges begin to provide the answers and accountability that has been missing for so many years.”

Vancouver police were investigating three sexual assault cases from 2009 when a fourth case was brought to their attention.

2:15 Murder charge in Surrey woman’s death in Australia

In the early hours of Canada Day in 2009, a 20-year-old woman was attacked and sexually assaulted by a stranger while walking near Granville Island. The suspect fled and police were unable to locate them.

A second attack happened on Nov. 15, 2009, when a 25-year-old woman was sexually assaulted after trying to enter an apartment building in the West End. A few months later, police said a third woman was attacked in Yaletown.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

After an investigation was launched into all three cases, Vancouver police launched Project Scrimmage in 2011 to try to unveil new information and evidence related to the crimes.

“It is an intensely personal decision for any victim of violent crime to come forward and share their story with police,” Wilson said. “We owe it to those who come forward to do everything we can to support them, to identify the people responsible, and to hold those offenders accountable.”

5:29 Crime Stoppers Cold Cases: Two fatal attacks

Project Scrimmage, at the time, had detailed information regarding the suspect believed to be behind the attacks, and made the info widely available for all community members in Vancouver.

More than 12 years later, investigators said a breakthrough was found in the cases. Vancouver police said they “obtained evidence linking the three unsolved sex assaults to a fourth cold-case that occurred in the downtown core on Christmas Eve in 2010.”

The evidence quickly led VPD investigators to the 45-year-old suspect, who was in Regina.

“On July 21, our investigators travelled to Saskatchewan, arrested the suspect, and brought him back to Vancouver to face charges,” Wilson said.

Arturo Garcia Gorjon has been charged with four counts of sexual assault related to crimes that occurred between July 1, 2009 and Dec. 24, 2010. Gorjon’s next court appearance is on September 12, 2023.