A Burnaby woman who received an unsettling sexual note through her mail slot in November is speaking out after the man arrested in connection with the case was let off without charges.
The woman, who wanted to remain anonymous over concerns the man may still live in the neighbourhood, is worried he may do the same again — and about the message it sends to others who harass women.
“It’s a weird feeling,” she told Daily Hive. “We see this kind of news every day. People caught, released, offending again. All I can think of now is, well, I hope he’s scared enough he’s not going to repeat something like this. Or perhaps something worse.”
Burnaby RCMP issued a news release on Nov. 21 alerting the public that officers had arrested a 20-year-old man for criminal harassment. The suspect allegedly left disturbing handwritten notes or underwear for women in the area of Telford Avenue and Beresford Street near Metrotown between Sept. 15 and Nov. 3, 2024.
Burnaby RCMP said several women were targeted with disturbing handwritten notes in the area of Beresford and Telford streets. (Google Maps)
The notes expressed thoughts of a sexual nature and implied that the suspect was watching the victims, police said.
“I can only imagine the unsettling feeling these women must’ve felt knowing someone was watching them,” Sgt. Freda Fong with Burnaby RCMP said at the time. “We need to send a strong message to the community that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated and that the police prioritize women’s safety.”
The victim Daily Hive spoke with received a note with a drawing of a woman’s buttocks wearing a thong.
“If you are the woman of this apartment, we are going to fuck,” it said. “You are very hot.”
The note came through her apartment mailbox overnight on a weekend — suggesting whoever dropped it lived in her building or had gotten inside. She phoned 911 right away.
“It sounded like he knows exactly who I am,” she said.
Officers arrived at her apartment within 10 minutes, and forensics workers looked for signs of who left it. The woman believes she was one of the last victims since police announced the arrest a week later.
She said she was impressed with the victim services resources she was connected with, too.
“I didn’t really feel like a victim, you know, no one had physically assaulted me,” she said. “But the fact there’s this whole built-in system. It’s incredible.”
But last week police contacted her to let her know that the suspect was free to go without charges. They told her he was given a warning.
“We’re telling him it’s okay to absolutely disrespect our values and our laws. And, you know, walk away with no consequences,” she said. “Will he learn from this? I doubt it.”
Daily Hive reached out to Burnaby RCMP for an update on the case, but the force said its responsibility ends at the investigative stage. It referred us to the BC Prosecution Service, which lays criminal charges in the province.
The Prosecution Service confirmed no charges were approved in connection with the case. The charge assessment standard was not met, and a spokesperson for the service said not laying charges was the appropriate course of action.
“In this case, the prosecutor concluded that there was no substantial likelihood of conviction and did not approve the charge,” the spokesperson said.