A career thief with 78 previous convictions is out on the streets for at least another month after his court date on sex assault charges was pushed back.
Tracy Lloyd Caza, 51, was arrested on New Year's Eve and charged with assault, sex assault and uttering threats against a female victim. He was released on bail the next day.
Caza was scheduled to appear in court Friday morning for an arraignment hearing, but the case was put over until Feb. 6 to allow his lawyer time to review files.
Crown counsel Jonas Dow told reporters outside the court that prosecutors are now reviewing the decision to release Caza.
"It appears as though he was well represented," Dow said.
"It's not uncommon that people, even with lengthy records, are released into the community if a justice, after they've heard all the circumstances, deems it to be appropriate."
Caza was just discharged from prison last month after serving a two-year sentence for theft.
His release prompted a rare public warning from Vancouver police, who cautioned that there was a strong likelihood he would reoffend. Because Caza has a long history of preying on the elderly, care homes and hospitals were put on alert.
"This is somebody who has shown a propensity for targeting the most vulnerable in society," Const. Jana McGuinness said at the time.
Caza's criminal record dates back to 1991, when he was convicted of theft in New Westminster.
In one of his most shocking crimes, Caza stole rings from 91-year-old Agnes Ulmer as she lay in her hospital bed recovering from a leg amputation. He offered to help her clean the jewelry and she never saw it again.
And in 2002, he walked into a seniors' centre in North Vancouver and stole rings from Pauline Moore.
"He shouldn't be doing this to people in a home like this or anywhere because we're very vulnerable," Moore told CTV News at the time.
Despite his lengthy record, prosecutors say they are unlikely to seek a dangerous offender designation for Caza.
