Man, 32, serving life sentence for killing victim with sword escapes from Quebec prison

A warrant has been issued for 32-year-old Yacine Zouaoui, who was unaccounted for at the minimum security Federal Training Centre in Laval, north of Montreal, Thursday night.

Quebec provincial police say they have reason to believe he may be in Ontario.

According to Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), Zouaoui's disappearance was discovered at 10:45 p.m., and officials contacted both Laval police (SPL) and the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).

• IN PHOTOS: A history of Quebec prison escapes

Zouaoui is described as 185 cm (6 ft 1) in height and 84 kg (186 lbs) in weight.

He has brown eyes, brown hair and visible tattoos including a teardrop under his left eye and three dots in the web of his left hand.

He speaks English.

"The inmate is currently serving an indeterminate sentence for assault causing bodily injury and second-degree murder," Correctional Service of Canada said Friday.

The sentence is in relation to a 2011 case after Zouaoui, then 19-years-old, turned himself in to police for killing Zsolt Csikos by stabbing him in the back with a sword.

According to court documents, at the time, Zouaoui fled the scene of the crime and abandoned the weapon at a shopping mall before seeking advice from his uncle.

"He then called the police, turned himself in, and cooperated in the investigation," states the document with the Court of Appeal of British Columbia.

Anyone with information on Zouaoui's whereabouts is asked to contact the Sûreté du Quebec or call 911.

CSC says it is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and is working with the police to locate Zouaoui as quickly as possible. 

- with files from CTV News Montreal's Kelly Greig