A man from Mississauga has been taken into custody in Texas and is now facing charges related to an assault on Elnaz Hajtamiri, a Mississauga resident who went missing in 2022.
The 25-year-old individual is charged with aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit a serious offense and is currently being held in York Region, as announced by the York police in a recent press release.
The U.S. Marshals Service apprehended the suspect in Texas in August before he was extradited back to Canada for prosecution, according to the official statement.
Authorities allege that the man was involved in an assault on Hajtamiri that occurred prior to her abduction, as disclosed by the police on Friday.
Reportedly, Hajtamiri was assaulted in December 2021, struck with a frying pan in an underground parking lot in Richmond Hill, and subsequently hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, including a head wound requiring 40 stitches. The perpetrators fled the scene after the attack.
Several weeks later, in January 2022, three suspects wearing fake police uniforms broke into a relative’s house in Wasaga Beach, where Hajtamiri was residing post-assault, and abducted her. The suspects fled in a white Lexus SUV, and Hajtamiri has not been seen since then, with authorities presuming her to be deceased.
A tip from the public led law enforcement to the accused individual in Texas, Constable Lisa Moskaluk of the York Regional Police revealed in an interview with CBC Toronto.
Moskaluk emphasized the importance of any information from the public, no matter how insignificant it may seem, as it could provide crucial evidence to advance the case.
To date, a total of eight individuals, including Hajtamiri’s ex-boyfriend, have been arrested in connection with the December assault, with law enforcement suspecting their involvement in the abduction or possessing knowledge of those responsible.
When questioned about ongoing suspects, Moskaluk affirmed that the investigation is ongoing, and having the current suspect in custody may lead to the identification of additional perpetrators.
She emphasized the potential for new information to emerge and highlighted a $100,000 reward for any details leading to Hajtamiri’s location, urging individuals with information to contact authorities or Crime Stoppers.
