A man whom police caught in an alleged indecent act at an Abbotsford park in early May has now been charged again.
Richard Renning, 56, faces a second charge of committing an indecent act in a public place, as well as two breach charges.
Abbotsford Police media officer Sgt. Paul Walker said the most recent indecent-act charge relates to an incident on March 22 at Ellwood Park.
He said a woman reported that she saw a man performing a lewd act, but no suspect was identified at the time.
Walker said police were able to link Renning to the alleged offence after he was arrested on May 3.
On that day, officers responded to Ellwood Park – in the 31400 block of Maclure Road – after a woman reported that a man had been exposing himself to people in the park.
Officers who arrived found the suspect in some bushes and “observed him performing a further indecent act,” Walker said at the time.
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The man tried to run away but was caught by officers.
Renning was subsequently charged, and Walker said investigators were able to “secure the evidence” to link him to the incident on March 22, for which he was charged last Friday (May 26).
According to the provincial court database, since his arrest on May 3, Renning has also been charged with two counts of breaching his probation – on Oct. 4, 2022 and March 13, 2023.
He remains in custody awaiting a bail hearing.
Police are continuing to look into previously reported incidents to determine if there are any connections to Renning.
The Abbotsford Police Department on April 26 released a composite sketch of a man who had exposed himself to a woman – also at Ellwood Park – on March 30.
RELATED: Man exposed himself to woman in Abbotsford park, say police
The victim reported that she saw the same man in the park on April 14 and he followed her before walking away.
According to the provincial court database, Renning has several prior convictions for committing an indecent act in a public place – in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016 in Vancouver; 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019 in Richmond; 2016 on University Endowment Lands; and 2020 in Burnaby.
On Renning’s Facebook page, he lists himself as an “intern pastor” at an Aldergrove ministry and states that he studied at the Willingdon Church School of the Bible and Ministry.
vikki.hopes@abbynews.com
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