Montreal police arrest man in fatal shooting of 15-year-old Meriem Boundaoui
Montreal police have arrested their first suspect in the homicide of 15-year-old Meriem Boundaoui that happened almost a year-and-a-half ago.
Salim Touaibi, 26, was charged with first-degree murder related to Boundaoui's shooting death on Feb. 7, 2021. Touaibi is also facing four charges of attempted murder related to other victims, police said.
Boundaoui was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting in the Saint-Leonard borough at around 6 p.m. on Valdombre Street near Jean-Talon Street while she sat in a car.
She was in a parked car with a young man, who was chatting with people on the street when another car approached and shots were fired. A man on the sidewalk was also hit in the upper body. At the time, witnesses said an argument between people in the suspect's vehicle and people on the sidewalk led to the shooting.
Montreal police held a news conference Monday to formally announce the arrest in the case that sparked widespread outrage across the city.
SPVM Cmdr. Salvatore Serrao said the suspect has been detained since March on other charges related to violence and gun possession. The investigation remains open, and other suspects remain at large, Serrao said.
"It's a complex investigation; it takes time," said Serrao. "We know that the person we arrested wasn't alone."
Serrao did not confirm whether the arrested suspect was the one who pulled the trigger, saying only that he participated "actively."
Boundaoui's killing was a flashpoint in the debate about the scourge of gun crime in Montreal, which remains a priority for the city's police service.
Since her death, other Montreal-area teens have been killed by violent crime, including 16-year-olds Jannai Dopwell-Bailey and Lucas Gaudet, and Hani Ouahdi, 20, who was gunned down in a car in the city's east-end Anjou district.
Sandrick Jorcelin, a 14-year-old U.S. boy visiting Laval while on a family trip, was also seriously wounded in a drive-by shooting last month. His uncle died in the May 7 shooting.
Touaibi already had a criminal record when he was arrested on Monday in Boundaoui's killing. Police said she had no link to the suspect and was an innocent victim.
Serrao said the Montreal police's homicide resolution rate is 92 per cent for crimes committed in 2020, 62 per cent for 2021 and 54 per cent so far this year -- proof, he said, that solving crimes takes time.
"Our investigators are determined, they're focused and will never stop," he said. "They will continue until we find the missing pieces, until we can arrest the people and bring them to justice."
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
NEW Life got in the way of one woman's reunion with her father, but a DNA test gained her a family
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec Health Department reports 28 cases of eye damage linked to solar eclipse
Quebec's Health Department says it has received 28 reports of eye damage related to the April 8 total solar eclipse that passed over southern parts of the province.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.