Ex-Boyfriend of Missing Richmond Hill Woman Charged with Kidnapping

The ex-boyfriend of a missing Richmond Hill woman has been charged with kidnapping in connection with her January disappearance, as well as attempted murder and attempted kidnapping following a violent assault and attempted kidnapping in December.

In December 2021, Elnaz Hajtamiri, 37, was reportedly confronted by two men in an underground car park and hit on the head with a frying pan. The suspects, who also allegedly tried to kidnap her, fled in a vehicle after a concerned citizen intervened. Shortly afterward, investigators allegedly located and seized a tracking device on Hajtamiri’s car.

In April, York Regional Police executed an arrest warrant at a residence in Brampton, resulting in Riyasat Singh, 23, of Mississauga, being detained by police.

At the time, York Regional Police also issued a Canada-wide warrant for the arrest of Harshdeep Binner, 23, of Brampton. He is still on the run.

Both men face charges of attempted murder, attempted kidnapping, possession of criminally obtained property of more than $5,000 and mischief of less than $5,000.

Today, Ontaio Provincial Police announced that Hajtamiri’s ex-boyfriend, Mohamad Lilo, 35, of Brossard, Quebec, has been charged with kidnapping in connection with Hajtamiri’s disappearance on January 12.

Thay also said he now faces attempted murder and attempted kidnapping charges for the December 2021 incident.

Lilo has a court date on July 13.

The defendant was also charged last January with criminal harassment stemming from the couple’s breakup in October 2021.

Hajtamiri, who also goes by the surname Tamiri, was last seen at a Wasaga Beach residence on January 12. According to the OPP, three suspects dressed in “police gear” forcibly removed her from a relative’s home where she had been hiding. . They all fled in a stolen white Lexus RX sport utility vehicle, police said.

Three months ago, the Ontario Provincial Police’s Senior Case Manager, along with Farsi- and Arabic-speaking service members, summarized known investigative activities to date and released a video asking for help from the missing woman’s mother, Fariba, in Iran.

In a statement, Hajtamiri’s family thanked the OPP for “advancing the arrest of the suspects in her attack and kidnapping, and understanding what happened to our beloved Elnaz.”

“These past 6 months have been exhausting and painful since her disappearance as we continue to search for her endlessly. We have been met with nothing but silence from the kidnappers, and not a trace of our beautiful girl has been found,” they said.

“We hope that the arrest of this suspect will bring us closer to finding her.”

Hajtamiri’s family passed that Det. in sp. Martin Graham and the entire OPP team for their “tireless work, compassion, and dedication to this case.”

“We are truly grateful and hopeful that this development will lead us to find Elnaz,” the family said.

“If anyone out there has information about this case or Elnaz’s whereabouts, please reach out and share it with law enforcement.”

Hajtamiri is described as five-foot-three, with a slim build and shoulder-length black hair, which had been cut to a shorter length before she was abducted. She emigrated from Iran to Canada less than four years ago.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1-833-728-3415, local law enforcement or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or online at https://ontariocrimestoppers.ca/submit-a-tip/submit-a-tip.

-with archives from CTV News Barrie


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