Father, son arrested in Taylor van Diest's death

RCMP have arrested a father and son in connection with the death of Taylor van Diest, an 18-year-old who was found badly beaten near railway tracks in Armstrong, B.C., last Halloween.

Matthew Foerster, 26, and his father, Stephen Roy Foerster, 58, both of Cherryville, B.C., are in custody, RCMP announced Thursday in Armstrong.

The son, now being held after being arrested in Ontario, has been charged with second-degree murder and the father has been charged with obstruction of justice after being arrested at his B.C. home.

Matthew Foerster was arrested Wednesday at a motel in Collingwood, Ont., on a Canada-wide warrant. Ontario Provincial Police and Ontario RCMP members assisted B.C. RCMP officers in the arrest, said RCMP Insp. Brendan Fitzpatrick.

"The arrest was completed without incident and efforts are underway to transport him back to B.C. to answer to the charges," Fitzpatrick said.

Matthew Foerster has also been charged with one count of sexual assault and unlawful confinement in connection with the April 12, 2005, sexual assault of a Kelowna escort.

He is facing additional chargesin connection with a home invasion that took place Oct. 19, 2004, in Cherryville, B.C., in which a 19-year-old woman was assaulted, said Fitzpatrick.

Heis scheduled to appear in court April 10.

Stephen Foerster was arrested Wednesday and also remanded in custody Thursday until he appears in court again on April 11.

Van Diest was attacked on Oct. 31 while she was walking along railway tracks on her way to a friend's place in Armstrong, about 70 kilometres north of Kelowna.

She was later found by friends but died in hospital.

A composite sketch of a suspect was released by police in November afterDNA was used to connect van Diest's death to the sexual assaultof a Kelownaescort in2005.