Surrey police are requesting additional information from the public regarding a man who was arrested and charged earlier this month in connection with an extortion-related shooting. Jaskaran Saroye, 27, has been taken into custody and charged with discharging a firearm. He remains in detention pending his next court appearance scheduled for May 12.
Incident Details
On April 13 at approximately 3 p.m., police received a report of gunfire near a residence located at 94A Avenue and 127th Street. Upon arrival, officers discovered damage to the home, but fortunately, no one was inside at the time of the shooting, and no injuries were reported.
Investigation and Arrest
Following the incident, investigators from the Surrey Police Service's extortion unit identified a suspicious vehicle and obtained a search warrant. Their efforts led to the arrest of Saroye. Chief Constable Norm Lipinski stated, "This arrest and charge reflect the determined work of our officers to hold those responsible for gun violence accountable. Discharging a firearm into an occupied home is an extremely serious offence, and while we are thankful no one was physically harmed, incidents like this are profoundly dangerous and frightening for those affected."
Public Appeal
Surrey police have released Saroye's image in hopes that individuals with information about his activities will come forward. Anyone with details is urged to contact the Surrey Police Service non-emergency number at 604-599-0502, the Surrey extortion tip line at 236-485-5149, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or via www.solvecrime.ca.
Extortion Trends in Surrey
In the first three months of this year, Surrey recorded 75 extortion threats and 14 shots-fired incidents. Extortion threats have been a persistent concern, particularly within the South Asian business community, where businesses and homes have been targeted in shooting incidents. Multiple task forces at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels have been established to investigate these shootings and threats. The City of Surrey has allocated $250,000 toward resources to combat extortion crime.
Related Incident
In a separate case, a suspect has been charged in a fatal stabbing in the Downtown Eastside. James Andrew Slater, 49, died after being stabbed near East Hastings and Columbia streets. Following the stabbing, a man and a woman were arrested. On Thursday, police announced that Braden Levine Ollenberger, 27, has been charged with second-degree murder and remains in custody.
