Ben Bertolucci (ベン・ベルトリッチ,Ben Berutoritchi?) was an American freelancer investigative journalist who worked in Raccoon City prior to the 1998 Raccoon City Destruction Incident. Though he was not from Raccoon City, he visited Arklay County frequently enough he was familiar with local reporter, Alyssa Ashcroft.[note 1] He was arrested when the Chief of Police, Brian Irons, became the target of investigation.
Biography
In the Summer of 1998 Burtolucci began investigating the bizarre murders that took place in the Arklay Mountains.[1][excerpt 1] Believing there was something at work preventing the police investigation, he stayed on the case for another month, staying over at the Apple Inn.[2][3] In September he began to suspect Brian Irons, the Raccoon City Police Department chief, was receiving bribes to botch the investigation from within.[1] Bertolucci gained information from Umbrella employees, either confidentially or through spying, and became aware of a serious incident taking place in the city.[1] Meanwhile, Irons became aware of Bertolucci's investigation of the RPD funding and ordered for his immediate arrest.[4][5] He was found entering the South Raccoon Street Station and may have attempted to flee, given his briefcase and rail pass were discarded in different spots.
On September 28 he assisted survivors in evacuating the station, offering the Sapphire Crest in exchange for the paperwork proving Irons' guilt, which had been confiscated.
Due to the amount of incriminating evidence he had against both Irons and Umbrella, Ben was locked up in the R.P.D.'s basement by the police chief. Come September 29, he was one of the last remaining survivors within the precinct and was found by Leon S. Kennedy. Ben soon asked Leon to release him, offering the parking garage's key card as a trade if he did. Leon, unaware of Iron's corruption, became hesitant to do so, however. Before Leon can make a decision, T-00 broke the wall behind Ben's cell and proceeded to crush his skull, killing him instantly.
Leon later unlocked Ben's cell to obtain the key card. While searching Ben's body, he also found a tape recording an interview between Ben and Annette Birkin, where she denied any information regarding both the G-Virus and an Underground Laboratory of Umbrella.
