DNA evidence leads to charge being laid in 2019 sexual assault case​on February 13, 2025 at 6:42 pm

Thanks to new DNA evidence, Calgary police have laid charges in a sexual assault case that occurred more than five years ago in Forest Heights.

“After new evidence was brought to light, we have now charged a man after an extensive investigation into a sexual assault that occurred in July 2019,” stated a CPS news release on Thursday.

The assault occurred around 4:45 a.m. on July 14, 2019, when police responded to the 500 block of 44th Street S.E. for reports of a woman being sexually assaulted by an unknown man.

Upon arrival, officers located a woman suffering from serious injuries, according to CPS. The woman was transported to hospital in critical condition and sustained life-altering injuries as a result of the assault.

CPS’s Sexual Assault Investigative Unit began an investigation and collected several pieces of evidence, including DNA that was submitted to the RCMP National DNA Data Bank.

In December 2024, investigators were notified that a DNA match was obtained from the data bank and through analysis, a male suspect was identified.

Last Friday, officers located and arrested the suspect at a residence in the 2300 block of 162 Avenue S.W., in the community of Evergreen.

Kepra Udup Bang, 26, now faces a charge of aggravated sexual assault. He will next appear in court on Thursday, Feb. 20.

“We will never close a sexual assault investigation,” said Staff Sgt. Tom Hanson of the Calgary Police Service Sexual Assault Investigative Unit, in the news release. “We will continue to investigate sexual assaults even after several years have passed, as we know new technology or new evidence can be brought forward to further an investigation.

“In this case, it was a successful DNA match that allowed our officers to positively identify a suspect and subsequently lay charges. I want to thank the many officers and areas within the service who contributed to this investigation since 2019.”

Anyone with additional information about this incident is asked to contact police by calling 403-266-1234. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477, visiting calgarycrimestoppers.org or using P3 Tips app.