A Burnaby man has been charged more than a year after the death of another man found unconscious after a fight at a pub in South Delta.
Police announced Thursday that 20-year-old Franco Sarra has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the Dec. 11, 2016 incident.
Russ Armfelt, a 53-year-old man from Tsawwassen, was found unconscious and unresponsive behind the Rose and Crown Pub early that morning. He was rushed to hospital, but later died of his injuries.
His death was ruled suspicious at the time.
Armfelt was a regular at the bar, staff said, and police called his death "a shock to our community."
Officers thanked his family and friends for their patience during the investigation, saying it allowed investigators to be diligent.
"Investigators updated Mr. Armfelt's family yesterday with this news, and I can relay that they are feeling a bit numb right now," Delta Police Chief Neil Dubord said in a statement.
"This day was a long time coming, and it's hard for them to believe. Our hope is that they can now start to find a bit of closure with this news."
Few details have been provided about what happened that night, but police said Sarra and Armfelt knew each other.
