Police arrest man and woman charged with sex assault at gunpoint in Oppenheimer Park
Store clerk recognized Jason Tapp, 30, and Nicole Edwards, 33, from media reports
Vancouver police say they have re-arrested a man and a woman charged with a violent sexual assault after a store clerk recognized the pair from media reports.
Jason Tapp, 30, and Nicole Edwards, 33, face 15 counts relating to sexual assault, assault and confinement in Oppenheimer Park in April.
They were out on bail under several court-imposed conditions when they failed to report to their bail supervisors on Tuesday, according to Vancouver police. Investigators asked the public for help tracking the pair down on Friday, and they were taken into custody again by the end of the day.
"This arrest was made possible by a heads-up store clerk who recognized the couple from the earlier media release we put out," Const. Tania Visintin said in a press release.
Police allege the two are responsible for a sexual assault in Oppenheimer Park in April. The survivor of the assault was directed at gunpoint into a tent where she was held against her will, beaten and sexually assaulted with a weapon for more than 15 hours, prior to her escape.
"This was a horrific and violent crime, and the suspects preyed on a vulnerable person," Visintin said earlier Friday.
Tapp and Edwards were first arrested on May 2, when police say a search turned up the firearm and various other items associated with the offence.