Two men aged 18 and 20 arrested after deadly fire in Old Montreal

Montreal police arrested two young adults in connection with the deadly fire in Old Montreal last week that killed a mother and her young daughter.

The two men, aged 18 and 20, were arrested Friday in the city's Saint-Laurent and Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve boroughs, said the head of the police's major crime section, Jean-Sébastien Caron, at a news conference. One of the suspects was arrested at a residence, while the other was arrested on the street.

Police allege the older suspect started the fire after throwing an incendiary device into the building, while the teenager drove a getaway vehicle after the fire broke out.

The five-alarm blaze on Oct. 4 killed Léonor Geraudie, 43, and her seven-year-old daughter, Vérane Reynaud-Geraudie. Both were French nationals.

At the time of the fire, there were 25 people inside the three-storey, 160-year-old building in the city's historic district. Two people were seriously injured, including one who remains in hospital.

The case is now in the hands of the Quebec Crown prosecution office to determine whether charges should be laid against the two young suspects. At the press conference, Insp. David Shane wouldn't speculate on which charges are expected but did tell reporters, "For us, we treated this case as a murder case from the beginning but obviously the decision will be made by the Crown prosecutor."

Firefighters battle a fire in Old Montreal on Friday, Oct.4, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

More than 200 officers worked on case

Caron said more than 200 officers have been working on the case over the last seven days and that the major crime section is still investigating "to identify the mastermind behind this arson."

"We know there's somebody who called the shots so we want to get at this person for sure," he added.

Police urged anyone with information about the case to come forward by calling 911 or the confidential Info-Crime tip line at 514-393-1133. 

Montreal's official opposition party, Ensemble Montreal, is calling for a public inquiry into the deadly blaze in Old Montreal.

The two suspects are known to police, who have not revealed an alleged motive for the suspected arson. When asked if the pair have ties to organized crime, police told the media the suspects are involved with "different groups" but declined to elaborate as the investigation is ongoing.

Caron also declined to say whether the fire on the Notre-Dame Street East building is an example of the spate of extortion attempts that have made recent headlines.

At another press conference earlier this week, police said between 30 and 40 extortion cases were reported in the city over the summer, with some businesses set on fire as criminal groups fight over the downtown protection racket. 

A screenshot of a surveillance video obtained by Noovo Info showing an individual leave a building at Notre-Dame St. East and Bonsecours Street in Old Montreal after breaking into it. (Source: Noovo Info)

The building that burned last Friday housed a wine bar on the ground floor and a 19-room hostel on the upper floors. The case is reminiscent of a similar fire in another heritage building in Old Montreal in 2023 that killed seven people. In both cases, the buildings that were targeted were owned by the same person — lawyer Emile Benamor. Police have stepped up patrols around his several buildings in the last week.

Police officers investigating the fatal fire in 2023 have handed the case over to prosecutors, but no charges have yet been laid.

Shane offered an explanation as to why officers were so quick to make an arrest in the latest case, saying the mobilization of so many officers and past experiences with similar cases helped move the case along.

"Every case is different," he said. "The leads, the proof that we have access [to], the timely manner in which we have access but also all the resources we pushed through this investigation, so from the first hour we mobilized a lot of investigative personnel to conduct the criminal investigation."

Following the Oct. 4 fire, Noovo Info obtained a surveillance video showing a person dressed in black clothing appearing to break into the building. The individual is seen kicking down the door at the front entrance and then leaving moments later as smoke appears to come out of the entrance. The person then flees on foot.

Earlier this week, Quebec's Public Security Minister François Bonnardel requested a public inquiry into the fire this year and last year be combined.

With files from The Canadian Press

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