Nanaimo RCMP arrested Brett Ranger Monday afternoon, approximately two-and-a-half hours after an alleged sexual assault on Victoria Rd. Ranger faces a single charge of sexual assault. (submitted photo)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

quick arrest

Nanaimo man facing sexual assault charge after alleged Victoria Rd. incident

Mar 28, 2023 | 12:36 PM

NANAIMO — A sexual assault charge has been laid against a local man following a reported altercation in the city’s downtown.

Brett Gordon Ranger, 33, faces the single count following an alleged incident on Victoria Rd. on Monday, March 27 around 1:20 p.m., where a woman reported to police she was violently attacked.

The victim reported she was grabbed by the throat and the chest before managing to escape back to her place of work.

She reported the incident to police, also mentioning the man allegedly threatened to kill her while chasing her back to her workplace.

A friend snapped a picture of the alleged individual, which spread rapidly on social media and helped aid in his capture with officers able to track him down.

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Police arrested Ranger without incident around 3:50 p.m. inside a View St. home after a search of the surrounding area.

Ranger remains in custody following a Tuesday, March 28 court appearance where he was formally charged. He will stay detained until at least his next appearance, scheduled for Tuesday, April 4.

Speaking to NanaimoNewsNOW during the search for Ranger on Monday, Reserve Cst. Gary O’Brien said the suspect appeared to be under the influence of a substance at the time of the incident.

“The individual is extremely high on drugs, in a psychotic state and is very unpredictable.”

Ranger has an extensive criminal history dating back to 2014 for a variety of offences in the Nanaimo area.

Court records showed Ranger has been jailed multiple times for crimes of violence and property offences.

He also has numerous convictions for breaching release conditions.

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