The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) has arrested a first suspect in connection with the murder of teenager Meriem Bendaoui, killed at the age of 15 in February 2021 in the borough of Saint-Léonard.
A 26-year-old man was arrested Monday morning in connection with the murder. He was already detained in a provincial center in connection with another case of violence and possession of a firearm.
He was scheduled to appear Monday afternoon at the Montreal courthouse to face charges of first-degree murder in addition to four attempted murders.
At a press conference on Monday afternoon, SPVM commander Salvatore Serrao, head of the investigation, did not confirm that the arrested suspect was the one who had opened fire. He did, however, mention that the suspect “actively” participated in the murder.
The SPVM has confirmed that the suspect did not act alone and that his investigation is continuing.
The teenage girl unrelated to the argument
The police made it clear that the young Meriem was not linked to the argument that broke out.
The murder of Meriem Bendaoui took place around 6 p.m. on rue Valdombre, not far from rue Jean-Talon, in the borough of Saint-Léonard, on Sunday February 7, 2021.
She was in a parked car with a young man, who was chatting with people on the edge of the street. That’s when another car approached and shots were fired.
Meriem Bendaoui was shot and rushed to hospital. She eventually succumbed to her injuries and the police announced her death the following morning.
A man on the sidewalk was also shot in the upper body. According to witnesses at the scene, the argument at the origin of the shots would have broken out between the passengers of the suspect vehicle and the people on the sidewalk.
The teenager, who would turn 16 the month after her death, would therefore have found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Two men were in the suspect vehicle, but they were wearing masks, making it difficult for officers to get an accurate description.