Justin Fortier-Trahan and Juventino Hernandez Pelaez will face multiple charges, including two counts of second-degree murder.
Three other charges of arson having posed a danger to human life will also be brought against the two men, Saturday morning, at the Montreal courthouse.
On the night of October 3 to 4, Mr. Fortier-Trahan, 20 years old, started a fire using an incendiary object in a heritage building in Old Montreal, according to information disclosed by the Service de Montreal City Police (SPVM). His accomplice, aged 18, was waiting for him in a car to flee the scene, according to the authorities.
Two people, a mother and her 7-year-old daughter, died in the flames. Originally from France, they were in Montreal during a trip, confirmed the victim’s spouse, who remained in Europe.
Background
Justin Fortier-Trahan had already been accused of arson in the past, according to our research, following an offense committed in April 2023 in Laval. He was also charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm in a vehicle.
He had set Marco Pizzi’s son’s car on fire, according to the report. According to the authorities, Mr. Pizzi is an important player in the Montreal mafia.
He was sentenced to 285 days of detention on January 17. He would have been released from prison during the summer, taking into account the days he had already spent in preventive detention.
Criminal groups
At a press conference on Friday, the SPVM indicated that the two accused were known to the police and that they were “associated with different groups”, without specifying which ones.
According to police sources, the Arab Power criminal organization could be behind last Friday’s fire. According to their hypotheses, the tragic fire could be the most recent episode of a war between several criminal groups in Montreal, who are committing acts of extortion against merchants and restaurateurs.