The SPVM arrests the alleged murderer of Meriem Boundaoui

This is Salim Touaibi, arrested Monday mid-morning. He appeared in the afternoon to answer a charge of first degree murder and four others of attempted murder. He will return to court on July 22.

The 26-year-old accused was arrested at a provincial detention center where he was being held in connection with another criminal case.

Salim Touaibi was indeed already known to police circles for offenses committed in 2017, 2019 and 2022 relating to the illegal possession of a firearm and narcotics. He was awaiting sentencing in one of these cases when he was arrested.

According to the commander of SPVM responsible for the investigation, Salvatore Serrao, Salim Touaibi participated actively to the murder of Meriem Boundaoui.

The officer, however, did not specify whether it was he who would have fired on the teenager, insofar as the suspect did not act alone on the evening of the murder.

What I can confirm for you is that we know that the arrested suspect was not alone and that he participated directly. That’s why he was charged with first degree murderindicated in a press conference the commander of the SPVM Salvatore Serrao – emphasizing the word directly.

In order not to harm the continuation of the investigation which is still in progress, Commander Serrao has been sparing in commenting on the details which led to the arrest of the suspect. He could not say if the vehicle used by the attackers had been found.

For major crime investigators, this arrest is the culmination of more than a year of hard work.

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante reacted to the arrest via Twitter: Congratulations to the SPVM, which apprehended a suspect in connection with the murder of Meriem Boundaoui. Rest assured that we are working hard to keep Montreal safe and prevent crimes like this. And our efforts are paying off.

Meriem Boundaoui had no nothing to see with the altercation

Meriem Boundaoui, an uneventful teenager, was killed on the evening of February 7, 2021 at the corner of rue Valdombre and rue Jean-Talon. She had found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, between the shooter and his target. His death had raised indignation and had reacted several elected officials.

The young woman was sitting in a car parked at the edge of the street with other young people when she was fatally hit by projectiles fired from a car which had approached the group. A man on the sidewalk was also injured.

According to witnesses at the scene, the argument at the origin of the shots would have broken out between the passengers of the suspect vehicle and the people on the sidewalk.

Although the details surrounding this dispute were not divulged by the police, Commander Serrao was clear: Meriem Boundaoui had no nothing to see with this altercation.

” We know that it was a conflict between two groups of individuals. What I can confirm to you is that young Meriem had nothing to do with the conflict and was not connected to the two groups. »

According to what the SPVM the day after the shooting, two men were in the suspect vehicle, but they were wearing masks, making it difficult for officers to get an accurate description.

With information from Pascal Robidas