Canadian homicide officers refused to reveal the name of the suspect of the murder of 17-year-old Serena Vermeersch. However, it was informed that the suspect had been charged for murder.

According to the official statement released on Sunday, "the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has secured homicide-related charges" against the suspect. It said that the arrested suspect was a male who was in custody at the moment. Metro Vancouver's IHIT refused to release the identity of the suspect because of the "publication ban" under section 517 of the Criminal Code. It was later announced on Monday in a news conference that the suspect had been charged with second-degree murder, CBC News reported.

Update: 43-year-old Raymond Lee Caissie has been charged with Vermeersch's murder. The high-risk sex offender was released in 2013 after serving 22 years in jail.

Vermeersch's lifeless body was discovered near the rail tracks of an industrial region which was just eight blocks from the Surrey RCMP headquarters. According to Chief Surrey RCMP Supt. Bill Fordy, police were concerned about keeping the integrity of the prosecution. "We would be remiss to comment further as to the identity of the man charged with this offence or the intimate details that led to Serena's death," Fordy said. "We owe it to Serena, her family and our citizens."

The 17-year-old was apparently killed in a "random" attack. Fordy said that her death had influenced the community in an unbelievable manner. He said that the teenager should be at her school (Sullivan Heights) and think about her graduation. She should be laughing with her classmates, he said. However, the situation turned out to be different. "These types of crimes galvanize our community and touch them in an incredible way," he said.

Vermeersch was last seen boarding a bus on her way home. She, nevertheless, did not reach home and that was when her mother called the police. Police had been looking for a silver-coloured truck but later said on Saturday that the search was discontinued. The murder took place near the police station while multiple police cars were passing by.

This reemphasises the community demand for more police in the region. National post reported that a random murder had taken place in the area in December 2013. It was Julie Paskall who had been killed on Dec 29 outside the Newton Recreation Centre while she was waiting for her son. The community of Newton has been asking for more community service and more officers in the area since then.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au