A 25-year-old Vancouver man has been charged in a string of sex attacks committed along the Cambie Street corridor last week.
Daniel Simmon Ghoukassian appeared in court Tuesday on three counts of sexual assault. He remains in custody pending another court hearing Wednesday.
The accused’s Facebook page describes him as “spiritual” and features large text reading, “People will let you down God never will.” It also identifies Ghoukassian as a student at the British Columbia Institute of Technology.
According to police, a suspect was arrested late Friday afternoon after an officer spotted him hiding in some bushes along Cambie Street.
Sgt. Randy Fincham said the man matched suspect descriptions provided by three victims who were attacked over a span of four days beginning on May 12.
The first victim, a 22-year-old woman, was pushed into some bushes and sexually assaulted at West 37 Avenue and Cambie. The suspect reportedly fled on foot.
Two days later, a 19-year-old was allegedly pushed to the ground and sexually assaulted at West 45 Avenue near Cambie. The third alleged assault happened a day later on May 15, when a 38-year-old woman was attacked at West 42 Avenue and Cambie.
Investigators said in each case, the victims described a similar attacker.
Police confirmed they are re-examining several unsolved sex assaults committed along Cambie last year, including early-morning attacks on Sept. 2, 5 and 8.
Last fall there was also a sexual predator stalking women on the University of British Columbia campus, though the RCMP said there is no evidence yet linking those cases to the latest attacks on Cambie.
Wednesday’s court hearing will determine whether Ghoukassian is to be released on bail.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Lisa Rossington
