One of Toronto’s most-wanted fugitives has been arrested just hours after police announced a $250,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
Abilaziz Mohamed, 32, had been wanted since last October in the shooting murder of Scarborough resident Craig MacDonald.
He was arrested Tuesday evening as a result of information police received from an anonymous source, police said Wednesday, the day after announcing the $250,000 reward throughthe Be On the Look Out (BOLO) initiativewhich maintains a list of Canada’s 25 most-wanted fugitives.
“Yesterday, Abilaziz Mohamed was BOLO’s No. 1 wanted suspect. Today, he is in Toronto Police Service custody,” police Chief James Ramer said in a statement Wednesday.
“We hope this provides a small amount of closure for the victim’s family. We work proudly and effectively with our BOLO partners and this successful arrest sends a clear message to those who continue to evade justice — you will be found.”
Mohamed is facing a charge of first-degree murder for the shooting death of MacDonald. The 43-year-old died in hospital following the Oct. 13, 2021 shooting in a parking lot outside a restaurant near Morningside Avenue and Highway 401.
In a statement read by police on Tuesday, MacDonald’s sister said the fact that her brother’s killer was still at large was “a special kind of torture.” She said arresting the suspect and bringing him to justice would allow the family to take a step forward and ensure no other family has to endure what they went through.
Mohamed was scheduled to appear virtually at the Toronto East Court on Wednesday morning.
Police say about half of Canada’s 25 most-wanted fugitives are wanted for crimes committed in Toronto. The majority of the charges are related to homicide cases, while others are human trafficking, attempted murder and armed robbery.
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