The vehicle of retired Quebec boxer David Lemieux was reportedly the target of an arson attack in Laval early Saturday.
• Also read: The warrior’s retreat: David Lemieux hangs up his gloves
• Also read: Random Target: Dad of boxer David Lemieux killed in Montreal
At around 3am on Saturday, the 911 emergency number was called about a burnt vehicle on rue des Alismas in the Sainte-Dorothée district of Laval.
According to our information, it was a black Mercedes-Benz owned by former world boxing champion David Lemieux.
According to Le Journal, the car, which was parked just a stone’s throw from the 34-year-old’s apartment, was hit by the flames, especially at the front.
Significant flames erupted from the ex-pugilist’s vehicle. Photo provided by a journalistic source
No arrest
Laval’s fire protection department was on site to extinguish the fire. The investigation was then transferred to the Service de Police de Laval (SPL).
“There were elements that led us to believe it could be arson,” police spokeswoman Erika Landry said.
The latter, however, refused to give any details as to what could have started the fire.
The car was badly damaged by the fire. Photo provided by a journalistic source
Investigators and forensic scientists are said to be on site on Saturday to investigate the crime scene.
As of early Saturday afternoon, there were no arrests on file. David Lemieux refused to answer our questions.
Unusual
The neighbors encountered by Le Journal, who preferred not to identify themselves, were all categorical: they had never seen anything like this on their street before.
Some were also awakened from their sleep by the excitement of the first responders and the sound of the flames.
“It’s quiet. “It’s not a shitty neighborhood,” argues one local resident. So I think everyone’s a little surprised.
“It’s a sector that was safe, but has it become a sector that is no longer safe?” educates another citizen. It’s about asking questions.”
From Rue des Alismas you can also see the complex high in the sky where a condo owned by entrepreneur Olivier Primeau was shot at earlier this year.
Sad birthday is coming
This would be the second time in almost a year that the Lemieux family has been rocked by crime.
The former pugilist’s father, André Fernand Lemieux, 64, was shot dead in Montreal in August 2022.
He was one of three men whom Abdulla Shaikh apparently shot at random in Montreal and Laval.
The 26-year-old man, who was said to be suffering from a mental illness, is said to have used a homemade weapon in the commission of his offences.
Authorities finally shot and killed the suspect at a motel in the Saint-Laurent neighborhood of Montreal.
In the days that followed, David Lemieux announced his retirement from boxing.
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