Published at 1:59 am. Updated at 5:00 am.
The person who allegedly set the fire that killed seven people in Old Montreal last March is already behind bars, but for a different crime, La Presse has learned.
The man, who would already have been on the list of Quebec’s top ten most wanted criminals, would have tried to confuse major crimes investigators by posing as a homeless man whose identity he would have usurped the last time the Bloodhounds hit him met Spring, in the weeks following the tragedy.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, LA PRESS ARCHIVE
Firefighters battle the flames in the building on Place d’Youville on March 16
According to our information, it was a police officer from Neighborhood Watch 21, who knows the homeless in the area, who realized that the man targeted by the SPVM Major Crimes Investigators was not the man he claimed to be and who they informed that the person was trying to deceive them.
The suspect, who was wanted for another crime unrelated to the fire, was therefore arrested but has not yet been charged in connection with the fire in Old Montreal as SPVM homicide investigators continue to gather their evidence collect.
It is still unclear why the man set fire to the building on Place d’Youville, killing seven people.
According to our information, the homeless man whose identity the suspect allegedly stole has been missing for several months and the police are investigating this disappearance.
“We do not have the right to comment specifically on the course of a criminal investigation. The investigators did not commit any illegal acts or mistakes. Our greatest concern is for the families of the victims and the uncertainty they experience every time an article is published,” responded SPVM spokesman Inspector David Shane.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Inspector David Shane, SPVM spokesman
The fire on the night of March 16 killed seven people, left numerous families in mourning and shocked the entire province. Most of the victims were just passing through Montreal or had rented accommodation through the Airbnb platform. An Wu, a 31-year-old American academic, died in the fire, as did Dania Zafar and Saniya Khan, two childhood friends from Pakistan.
Nathan Sears and Camille Maheux, the building’s only permanent resident among the victims, also met a tragic end. Ultimately, Walid Belkahla and Charlie Lacroix, both 18, were trapped in the apartment they had rented for the night, which had no windows. “We can’t get out,” Charlie Lacroix reportedly said during a 911 call.
In addition to these victims, nine other people were injured and six escaped the burning building unharmed.
A major investigation
In recent days, Le Journal de Montréal published two articles in which the author reports that the investigators made mistakes, that some had little experience and that there were disputes within the investigative teams.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante reiterated her full confidence in the investigators; The SPVM and its leader Fady Dagher have denied any errors in the matter.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, LA PRESS ARCHIVE
In addition to the seven victims, nine other people were injured, and six were able to escape the burning building unharmed.
In addition to the major crimes investigators, their colleagues from the SPVM’s arson unit, investigators from the Montreal Fire Department and those from the Régie du logement are also investigating this matter.
In addition to the murder investigation, authorities are considering charges of criminal negligence causing death.
In addition to the police investigation, the victims’ families have taken civil legal action.
The building’s owner, Émile Benamor, is suing the city of Montreal, challenging the city’s policy on heritage buildings.
According to certain elements of the investigation, there was at least one fire at the front of the building and gasoline was used to start the fire.
In collaboration with Bruno Marcotte and Henri Ouellette-Vézina, La Presse
To contact Daniel Renaud, call 514 285-7000, extension 4918, write to [email protected] or write to La Presse’s mailing address.