Charges have been laid in connection with the 2017 death of Surrey teen Bhavkiran Dhesi.
Harjot Singh Deo, 21, has been charged with second-degree murder, police announced at a press conference Monday.
Deo was arrested May 10 after landing at Vancouver International Airport from a domestic flight, Supt. Donna Richardson, officer in charge of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, said.
Richardson said Deo was identified as a person of interest early in the investigation, that the investigation is ongoing and that police believe there are still people out there who have information that could further the case. Those people are being asked to contact the RCMP.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e not finished yet,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淲e believe that we still have individuals in the community that have very intimate knowledge of what happened in this instance, of what happened to Bhavkiran. We乌鸦传媒檙e looking for other individuals to come forward if they have that knowledge.乌鸦传媒�
Dhesi, 19, was last seen leaving the family home, with the family car, at 9 p.m. on Aug. 1 in 2017. Her body was found in a torched SUV at 12:20 a.m. Aug. 2, in the 18700-block of 24 Avenue in South Surrey.
Police last October issued an appeal for the public乌鸦传媒檚 help with the case; less than two months later, Dhesi乌鸦传媒檚 family spoke out, asking those with information to come forward.
乌鸦传媒淪he didn乌鸦传媒檛 deserve this, but she deserves justice,乌鸦传媒� Dhesi乌鸦传媒檚 sister, Anjali, said in a December news conference. 乌鸦传媒淗elp us fight for Kiran because she乌鸦传媒檚 no longer here today to fight for herself.乌鸦传媒�
Richardson said Monday that Deo and Dhesi had been in a romantic relationship, however, she did not know if they were still dating at the time of her death.
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She confirmed Deo is 乌鸦传媒渒nown to police,乌鸦传媒� but said investigators had 乌鸦传媒渘o indication that he was a flight risk.乌鸦传媒�
Richardson said she could not speak to Dhesi乌鸦传媒檚 cause of death, citing the ongoing court process.
Surrey RCMP Asst. Cmsr. Dwayne McDonald said he hoped Monday乌鸦传媒檚 news brings Dhesi乌鸦传媒檚 family 乌鸦传媒渟ome small comfort in knowing that a suspect has now been charged with her murder.乌鸦传媒�
According to B.C. court records, Deo has received a number of traffic violation tickets from 2016 to 2017, including running a red light, failing to display new driver sign and failure to provide driver乌鸦传媒檚 licence or insurance.
He is due back in court on May 27.
