FINALLY! Cops charge Elnaz Hajtameri's ex-boyfriend with first-degree murder
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Nearly two years after she was kidnapped on a brisk winter night, cops have charged the ex-boyfriend of Elnaz Hajtameri with first-degree murder.
OPP officials confirmed to CP24 the arrest of Mohamad Lilo on Thursday.
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The arrest ends a harrowing odyssey for the popular woman’s family that has been fraught with myriad twists and turns. It also brings crushing finality to friends and family who hoped for a better outcome.
Hajtameri, 37, was snatched on Jan. 12, 2022, in the dead of night at a relative’s home in Wasaga Beach. She had relocated there after she had been attacked in the underground garage of her Richmond Hill building.
On the night she was kidnapped, Jan. 12, 2022, three suspects were dressed in police gear. They fled in what is believed to be a white Lexus RX sport utility vehicle.
Retired OPP Insp. Martin Graham told the Toronto Sun in January that he had never seen a case more puzzling in 30 years of police work in Canada and the U.K.
“We would normally hope we would have something by now and that we would have more answers. That is very unusual,” Graham said. “Clearly there is real evidence that this was planned, and planned to an extent that to this point they have been successful in their planning.”
That’s because, he said, Hajtamiri “has not been located.”
So far, cops have arrested four people in the kidnapping with an arrest warrant also issued for Deshawn Davis, 35, of Toronto.
Lilo was initially arrested in June 2022 and charged with kidnapping.
But what remains puzzling is the motive. With at least six people involved, that would seem like overkill for a simple matter of a vengeful boyfriend.
Some of the players arrested were allegedly involved in a scheme to steal Ford F-150s from Alberta and then ship them overseas. Police have not confirmed whether the truck theft ring played a role in Hajtameri’s kidnapping.
What is known is that Hajtameri was deeply worried after she had been attacked by a group of men — one of whom was allegedly Lilo. He was charged with attempted murder and attempted kidnapping for his role.
The allegations against Lilo have not been proven in court.
There have never been any ransom notes.
“It is heartbreaking that a mother and father sent their daughter to Canada from a country (Iran) that has a reputation for being very turbulent,” Graham said in January.
“They would obviously hope and expect that their daughter is going to be safe.”
Hajtamiri, who would now be 38 years old, is described as 5-foot-4 with a slim build, shoulder-length brown hair, and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a dark knitted sweater, black tights/leggings and light-coloured socks.
Police urge anyone with information to call a dedicated tip line at 1-833-728-3415. Members of the public are also strongly urged to help share previously released social-media information and photos of Hajtamiri using the hashtag #BringElnazHome.
@HunterTOSun
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