Crown to seek dangerous offender designation for man who raped 90-year-old
In February, a jury convicted Duran Ross Buffalo, 40, of aggravated sexual assault and breaking and entering to commit sexual assault. The convictions were for a 2021 attack on a victim whose identity is protected by a publication ban.
A sentencing hearing has not yet taken place. Instead, Buffalo appeared in court Friday and the Crown confirmed it is awaiting reports so the prosecution can proceed with a dangerous offender hearing.
Prosecutor Matt Dalidowicz indicated that once a dangerous offender assessment has been completed, he will seek leave from the attorney general to proceed with a hearing, which has already been scheduled for March 2026.
Indefinite sentence possible
If Court of King's Bench Justice Michele Hollins declares Buffalo a dangerous offender based on a pattern of violent behaviour, the court can then impose an indeterminate prison sentence.
Alternatively, the judge could also impose a fixed sentence with a long-term supervision order of up to 10 years, which would allow court-ordered conditions for monitoring the offender in the community.
There have been serious mental health concerns for Buffalo over the years, but he was ultimately found fit to stand trial.
Buffalo represented himself and, for the most part, refused to speak, although he did shout several times about "demons."
At one point, court had to take a break because Buffalo was sleeping on the floor in the prisoner's box.
Seniors complex break-in
During the trial, court heard that Buffalo broke into a northwest seniors' complex on Jan. 1, 2021.
Police responded to the break-in and spent about 15 minutes looking through the 17-storey building before they left, believing Buffalo had escaped through a different doorway.
In fact, he was hiding in the elderly woman's storage closet.
Jurors heard a tearful 911 call placed by the woman in the moments after Buffalo fled her apartment.
"I don't know what to do," she said, crying. "I was in bed asleep and this guy broke in and had sex with me."
The victim was ultimately taken to hospital and examined. A rape kit was conducted.
Over the next few days, she developed dark and extensive bruises on her face and wrists.
Buffalo was arrested a month later.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
15 minutes ago
- CTV News
‘Holding out hope': Community gathers to mark 21 years since disappearance of Tamra Keepness
WATCH: A community gathering was held on Friday in honour of Tamra Keepness, who vanished from her home 21 years ago. Wayne Mantyka reports.
National Post
17 minutes ago
- National Post
Michael Taube: Why Doug Ford's gaze has turned to speed cameras
Article content What about the argument that keeping speed cameras hidden in Ontario's municipalities would help ensure that drivers slow down? Article content Besides the fact that playing a game of 'gotcha' with drivers is juvenile, it doesn't make much of a difference. While popular navigation systems like GPS and Waze can identify hidden speed cameras and speed traps on certain routes, there are plenty of drivers who routinely ignore these warnings. There will always be drivers who ignore (or have ignored) municipal speed camera signs sitting in plain sight, too. The one silver lining? If any of these individuals get caught driving over the speed limit or worse, they'll be punished to the furthest extent of the law. Article content Ford is right to suggest there should be certain exceptions to the use of speed cameras in the province. This includes school zones where caution should always be the better part of valour. That's why speed limits are generally reduced to 30 km/h on Toronto streets located in and around our schools. Article content Here's the thing. If you slightly adjust your foot on the pedal or shift around in your car seat, which most drivers do at some point during their journeys, the chances are your speed will briefly go up a few kilometres. This would be caught on a speed camera and, in effect, mean that you've broken a municipal law. An inanimate speed camera obviously can't tell the difference. Are police and city officials going to care or take this into consideration? Of course not. Hence, it's a bit much to expect everyone to drive their vehicles to the point of a basic crawl or get fined. There has to be a certain amount of rational thinking and leniency involved in the decision-making process. Article content
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Rescuers also at risk when trying to help others safely to shore
Bystanders who jump in to help swimmers in distress need to consider the risks to themselves before wading into the water, the Lifesaving Society of Ontario says. "I myself have been a lifeguard for years and I would be extremely cautious going into open water to do a rescue," society spokesperson Stephanie Bakalar told CBC's Ottawa Morning on Friday. Bakalar's comments come two days after a man's dramatic rescue of two people from the Ottawa River near Westboro Beach on Wednesday afternoon. David Hickey, who told CBC he took a basic lifeguarding course as a kid, pulled an adult man and a child out of the river after noticing screaming and commotion near Westboro Beach. The father of the child was pulled out of the water later and pronounced dead at hospital. Hickey noted the river is quite shallow in that area until a steep drop-off not far from shore. 'You need to be very careful' Bakalar said ideally, would-be rescuers should have life-saving training. Even if they do, they should approach the situation with caution. For one thing, the people needing rescuing could, in their panicked state of mind, pull you down with them, Bakalar said. "They are scared and they are strong. They will grab you and they will pull you under the water," she said. You might start to panic yourself. "Now you're under the water as well, so you need to be very careful." Water currents need to be kept in mind as well. If possible, Bakalar recommended reaching out to the person with a floating object or throwing one to them from shore. If you do go into the water, get the person to roll onto their back and stay calm. "It would be much easier than dealing with someone who's thrashing around," Bakalar said. It's not clear where the father and child entered the river on Wednesday. Westboro Beach has lifeguards on duty from noon to 7 p.m., according to the National Capital Commission. "Swimming conditions can vary depending on river conditions," the NCC's website warns. Children, or anyone who isn't a confident swimmer, should have a life-jacket on before going into the water, said Dr. Trevor Arnason, Ottawa's interim medical officer of health Data up to 2020 indicates Ottawa experiences about six drownings a year. Swimming incidents often happen away from supervised areas, he added.
