Murder charges for two men in connection with Old Montreal fire
Two men were charged with second-degree murder and arson on Saturday, a week after a fire ravaged an Old Montreal building, killing a mother and daughter from France.
The early morning blaze claimed the lives of Léonor Geraudie, 43, and her seven-year-old daughter Vérane Reynaud Geraudie.
The fire erupted on the ground floor of the building and spread to the upper two levels which housed a hostel. Police have said 25 people were in the building at the time of the Oct. 4 fire, which injured three others.
Justin Fortier-Trahan, 20, and Juventino Hernandez Pelaez, 18, appeared in court Saturday charged in the deaths.
They also face a charge of arson causing bodily harm in connection to another man, and recklessly endangering life by damaging a property by fire or explosion.
After their arrest Friday, Cmdr. Jean-Sébastien Caron said at a news conference that one was suspected of using "an incendiary object" to set fire to the building, while the second is accused of driving a getaway vehicle.
Caron said both suspects were known to police but would not elaborate.
In addition to the Oct. 4 fire in Old Montreal, Fortier-Trahan and Hernandez Pelaez have been charged with arson in connection to another fire that took place roughly two hours earlier at a building on Wellington Street in Montreal’s Sud-Ouest borough.
Police spokesperson Caroline Chèvrefils told The Canadian Press on Saturday that police were called about a fire on Wellington Street fire just before 1 a.m. on Oct. 4, shortly before the fire erupted at around 2:40 a.m. in Old Montreal that same morning.
City records show the Old Montreal building belongs to Emile Benamor, who also owns another building in the neighbourhood that caught fire in March 2023 when seven people died.
Chèvrefils would not say whom the building on Wellington Street belongs to.
Police said Benamor has been co-operating with the investigation into the fires.
Earlier this week, a third building owned by Benamor in the same historic Montreal neighbourhood was struck by gunfire. Three people, including two teenagers, were arrested.
Police have not said whether those suspects were linked to the fatal Oct. 4. fire.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 12, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
U.S. Justice Department brings criminal charges in Iranian murder-for-hire plan targeting Donald Trump
The Justice Department on Friday disclosed an Iranian murder-for-hire plot to kill Donald Trump, charging a man who said he had been tasked by a government official before this week's election with planning the assassination of the Republican president-elect.
Canada rent report: What landlords are asking tenants to pay
Average asking rents declined nationally on a year-over-year basis for the first time in more than three years in October, said a report out Thursday.
N.S. school 'deeply sorry' for asking service members not to wear uniforms at Remembrance Day ceremony
An elementary school in the Halifax area has backed away from a request that service members not wear uniforms to the school's Remembrance Day ceremony.
48,584 space heaters recalled in Canada after burn injury in U.S.
Health Canada has announced a recall for electric space heaters over potential fire and burn risks, a notice published Thursday reads.
Israeli soccer fans were attacked in Amsterdam. The violence was condemned as antisemitic
Israeli fans were assaulted after a soccer game in Amsterdam by hordes of young people apparently riled up by calls on social media to target Jewish people, Dutch authorities said Friday. Five people were treated at hospitals and dozens were arrested after the attacks, which were condemned as antisemitic by authorities in Amsterdam, Israel and across Europe.
'Big frustration': How a limited MAID window affects Alzheimer's patients
A move by Quebec to allow a person with a serious and incurable illness like Alzheimer's to request MAID months or years before their condition leaves them unable to consent has been met with praise, confusion and criticism.
Winnipeg teacher who faces voyeurism charge now accused of sexually assaulting former student
A Winnipeg teacher previously charged with voyeurism and a number of other offences has been charged with sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a former student.
Beyonce leads the 2025 Grammy noms, becoming the most nominated artist in the show's history
Welcome to Beyonce country. When it comes to the 2025 Grammy Award nominations, 'Cowboy Carter' rules the nation.
107-year-old temperature record among dozens broken across Canada
Canadians are experiencing a wave of warm weather across multiple provinces well into the fall season, shattering dozens of temperature records.