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Accused in Vancouver car death also facing assault, sex assault charges

Accused faces more charges

The man accused in the Vancouver driving death of an Irish tech worker in June 2022 also faces sexual assault, assault and driving while prohibited charges.

Eoghan Byrne and a friend were crossing West 4th Avenue at Arbutus Street around 11:30 p.m. on June 19, 2022, when he was struck and killed.

The driver, Alexandre Romero-Arata, 27, failed to stop or offer assistance, police alleged.

He was charged with criminal negligence causing death, failure to stop at the scene of an accident and public mischief. 

Further, Romero-Arata also faces a charge of driving while prohibited stemming from an Aug. 29, 2022 Vancouver incident. And, he faces the same charge in connection with a Dec. 31, 2022 incident.

Const. Tania Visintin said at the time that the Vancouver Police Departmnet spent months gathering evidence in Byrne’s death.

Vancouver provincial court Judge Harbans Dhillon heard May 29 that Romero-Arata is due to go to trial soon on charges of assault causing bodily harm and assault against a woman March 5, 2022. He was granted bail on those charges July 6, 2022.

According to a court information sworn July 2, 2022, Romero-Arata is alleged to have sexually assaulted a person on Nov. 26, 2021.

Romero-Arata is due in court for a bail hearing June 2. He had been granted bail March 23 but is now in custody and appeared in court via video.

He returns to court on other charges June 8.



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