A 20-year-old New Westminster man has been charged with a number of offences in connection to a home invasion in the Connaught Heights neighbourhood this summer.
According to New Westminster Police, officers responded to a report of a home invasion near 19th Street and 10th Avenue at about 7 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020.
“A group of males, allegedly armed with firearms and wearing masks, forcibly entered an occupied home and proceeded to steal valuables and a vehicle,” said a press release from the police department. “The occupants of the home were not harmed during the incident and complied with the direction of the suspects.”
New Westminster Police spokesperson Sgt. Sanjay Kumar said there were more than three people in the home at the time of the incident.
“Not everyone is overly cooperative in providing statements,” he said.
Detectives in the major crime unit investigated the incident and recommended charges to Crown counsel, which has now approved a series of charges against Nathan Boivan: three counts of robbery; three counts of assault with a weapon; three counts of assault with a weapon; three counts of unlawful confinement; break and enter to commit an indictable offence; possessing a weapon for dangerous purpose; theft over $5,000; and possession of stolen property.
“Because it is an ongoing investigation, we are hoping for additional charges,” Kumar said, when asked why only one suspect has been charged in connection to the incident. “At this time we were still working with the people in the home to try and find out exactly who else was involved, but at this time it is not entirely clear.”
Kumar said the suspect was known to the people in the residence; he is also known to police.
“It’s ongoing,” he said of the investigation. “We are still reaching out to the public that if they have CCTV footage or dash-cam footage from that morning, our investigators would like to obtain that and speak with them.”
According to New Westminster Police, the suspect has been released from custody with conditions for an upcoming court appearance.
“This is believed to be targeted. It was believed to be targeted at the individuals in this home,” Kumar said. “So, based on that, we evaluate that and we submit our recommendations to Crown counsel. And at this time, there is no further risk to the public; there is no additional risk to this individual at this time.”
