Martin C. Barry
The Laval Police have released photos of a man they say is a suspect in multiple fraud cases involving a “grandparent scam” perpetrated in Laval last summer.
In the scheme, a suspect called the victim claiming to be their son. The fraudster said he was in jail after causing an accident by using his cell phone while driving. He also claimed a pregnant woman was injured in the accident.
A second suspect then claimed to be a lawyer, took over the call, insisted the situation was very serious and there was an immediate need for about $5,000 in bail money.
He also told the victim that a collection agent would show up at the victim’s home to collect the funds with a file bearing a special number for the case. The victim was also told they had to write their name and bank account number on the envelope and turn it over to the collection agent.
The suspect sought by the LPD is 25-30 years old, speaks French, stands 6’ 4” tall and weighs about 250 pounds. He has short dark hair, dark eyes and a tattoo on his right wrist that extends slightly to the top of the hand.
Anyone with any information that could further the investigation is urged to call the Laval police information line at 450-662-4636 or call 911 and mention file LVL-230704-066.
Guns were fired less often than usual in Laval last year, according to the LPD
In a report on criminal use of firearms in Laval in 2023, the Laval Police Dept. says the number of incidents leading to a firearm being discharged took a sharp decline last year compared to the year before.
According to the force, there were 13 events in 2023, compared with 24 the previous year and 43 in 2021.
Jean-François Rousselle, assistant director of the force ‘s criminal investigation division, said a new strategy produced encouraging results.
The LPD attributes the decline to the success of Projet Paradoxe, which focuses on firearms-related events.
He said there had been a drop in gun-related incidents over the past two years.
In 2023, 57 firearms were seized by the LPD in Laval and 30 suspects were arrested.
Man dies in house fire on Jarry Blvd. in Chomedey
The Laval Police have opened an investigation after a fire last week that left a 71-year-old man dead on Jarry Blvd. in Chomedey.
According to the LPD, a 9-1-1 call was received at about 11 p.m., reporting flames at a residence on Jarry. Firefighters who entered found a man unconscious inside. Although attempts to resuscitate him were made on the spot and he was taken to hospital, he was later declared dead.
While a preliminary investigation suggests the fire was accidental, an on-site inspection of the residence’s kitchen found a smoke detector that had no battery. The Laval Police routinely opens an investigation into fires when the Laval Fire Dept. finds grounds to suspect arson or when there has been a fatality.
Gunmen mistakenly target two homes in Chomedey
The Laval Police are investigating two separate targeted shootings on de Normandie Blvd. in Chomedey last week, committed by gunmen who apparently got the address wrong in both cases. Officers with the LPD were called to one of the addresses near the corner of d’Alençon Ave. around 5:30 am.
The owner, an 86-year-old man, complained that gunshots had been fired on the garage door of his residence, although there were no reported injuries and the perpetrators fled quickly. The police said later that the man had no known connections to criminals and didn’t have a police record.
Nearly a week before, also around 5:30 am at a nearby house, near the corner of de Normandie and 100th Ave., gunshots were fired through a residence’s large front window into the living room, as well through a smaller window into a bedroom where a woman in her 20s was sleeping.
After interviewing the family, the police told them they were probably mistakenly targeted.
Suspect charged with murder after man fatally stabbed in Laval-des-Rapides
The Laval Police rushed to the scene of a stabbing incident last week on Place Robin in Laval-des-Rapides where they arrested a male suspect who allegedly attacked a 66-year-old man who died from his injuries.
Although the victim was taken by ambulance to hospital, he was pronounced dead upon arrival, according to the LPD.
An LPD spokesperson said the suspect and the victim knew each other, without providing further details. The Journal de Montréal identified the victim as Abdelhak Ajaba, the suspect’s father. The suspect, identified by Montreal media as Mohamed Reda Ajaba, was charged at the Laval courthouse with second-degree murder.
According to The Gazette, Mohamed Reda Ajaba has a criminal record. In 2018, he was sentenced to an eight-month prison term and two years of probation after he pleaded guilty to armed robbery and the unauthorized possession of a restricted or prohibited firearm.
As well, according to the daily, he has a case pending at the Valleyfield courthouse where he is charged with possession of material obtained through a crime and possession of burglary tools.