Laval police (SPL) have arrested a 26-year-old man suspected to be behind a protection racket involving at least four restaurants in the Chomedey and Ste-Therese neighbourhoods over the summer.
Police say the racket was simple: a restaurant would be told to pay protection or else their establishment would be burned to the ground or they would be killed.
"The investigators think there are other victims, and that's why we'd like to talk to [other restaurants], we invite them to call the info line," said Erika Landry, a police spokesperson.
That line is 450-662-INFO (4636).
Brandon Flores Rodriguez is currently facing charges of extortion and uttering death threats. Landry said he is known to police and has a prior record.
Police won't say which establishments received threats and add that currently, there appears to be no link to organized crime.
Rodriguez is scheduled to be arraigned Friday in a Laval court.
