A man dubbed the “Falconridge rapist” for terrorizing a Calgary neighbourhood seven years ago, raping two women at knifepoint and assaulting another, is behind bars again — charged in the violent carjacking of a woman in Langley City on June 8.
Andrew Aurie Jefferson, 28, was in Surrey Provincial Court on Wednesday, facing two counts of robbery, uttering threats, possession of property obtained by crime, assault causing bodily harm, and assault with a weapon.
On April 8, 2006, a 19-year-old woman was grabbed as she was walking along a street, dragged behind a condo, and raped in the neighbourhood of Falconridge in Calgary.
A month later on May 10, a 35-year-old woman was grabbed by the neck as she was leaving a 7-Eleven store, dragged to a footpath, and raped.
Jefferson was convicted in 2007. He was sentenced to six years in prison for sexually assaulting the two women at knifepoint in April and May 2006, as well as assaulting another woman in March of that year.
After being released from jail, Jefferson relocated to Surrey — something that outraged local politicians, given the violence of the crimes committed in Calgary.
Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts was infuriated that Jefferson has been allowed to relocate here.
“This type of thing just infuriates me to no end,” Watts said at the time. “The safety of the residents and the community should always trump those of a convicted sex offender.”
On Saturday, June 8, at 7:25 p.m., Langley RCMP received a call from a resident who saw a woman being accosted by a man in the 5600 block of 200 Street.
He saw the woman drop her car keys and watched her attacker pick them up, get in her car and flee the scene, said Langley RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Holly Marks.
A short time later, police were called by the victim of the carjacking. She told police a man, unknown to her, had aggressively approached her with a pocket knife as she was getting into her car.
“He threatened her and demanded she hand over her keys, which she did,” said Marks.
The victim provided police with a description of both the suspect and her vehicle, a blue 2008 Hyundai Accent.
The suspect was last seen driving northbound on 200 Street. Five minutes later, a member of the Langley Core Enforcement Team spotted the Hyundai travelling on the Langley Bypass.She turned and followed the vehicle as it made several turns and finally stopped in a parking stall in the 20600 block of Logan Avenue.
“The officer used her vehicle to block the escape of the Hyundai and the driver was issued verbal commands to which he responded, and he was immediately arrested at 7:42 p.m.” said Marks.
— with files from Kevin Diakiw/Black Press