Police investigating homicide at Ajax GO station
Police say there is no risk to the public as they investigate a murder at Ajax GO station.
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CBC
22 minutes ago
- CBC
Second man pleads guilty in Edmonton 'Project Gaslight' arson and extortion plot
Social Sharing Another man has admitted he was part of a criminal conspiracy targeting successful South Asian home builders in Edmonton with extortion, arson and drive-by shootings. Manav Singh Heer, 20, pleaded guilty to arson, extortion and conspiring to commit extortion on Friday, about a year after he was among several others arrested in the Edmonton Police Service "Project Gaslight" investigation. Heer admitted he was involved in arsons at homes owned by four local developers, as well as an incident where he shot an airsoft gun at a car where a private security guard was watching over one of the developer's homes. He is the second person to plead guilty in the extortion scheme, which began in fall 2023 and continued into early 2024, with local home builders facing demands for cash, violent threats and torched properties. Another young man pleaded guilty earlier this year, admitting he was a "middle manager" in the conspiracy, directing lower-level members, including Heer, about arson targets and reporting progress to higher-ups. Three others, 21-year-old Parminder Singh, 20-year-old Gurkaran Singh and a youth who was 17 when he was arrested and can't be identified, are still before the courts. The charges they face have not been proven. Alleged ringleader Maninder Dhaliwal is also facing charges, but he's in Dubai, where he allegedly orchestrated the scheme from abroad. Court heard Friday that he is still the subject of an extradition request to send him back to Canada from the United Arab Emirates. Arson involvement The details of Heer's role in the extortion plot were laid out in an extensive agreed statement of facts read in court by Crown prosecutor Breena Smith. Heer was aware of threats against the home builders and demands for money, as well as shootings committed as part of the scheme. In committing the arsons, "He was being paid by the syndicate for his work and he was knowingly doing these things at the direction of or for the benefit of the syndicate," Smith said. One local business owner began receiving threatening messages, which didn't come from Heer, in October 2023. Court heard that a caller claimed to be a member of the Brothers Keepers gang and demanded $500,000, saying he "must have the money as he had a nice home and cars." He subsequently received threats that his whole family would be killed and his house would be burned, with the caller describing the car sitting in his driveway and recounting "intimate details" of his life that seemed to be the result of surveillance. After a drive-by shooting at his home where Parminder Singh was arrested, the developer received a text that said, "You want to play this stupid game? You call the cops, let's see how long you survive." Heer was one of the people who set fire to one of the home builder's properties a few weeks later, in the early morning of Nov. 6, 2023. He was involved in a subsequent attempted arson in Leduc where he and two others were chased off by a private security guard. And he was then part of an attack on a security guard's car where he shot and shattered the rear window of the vehicle as the guard drove away. Other developers were targeted in the months that followed, with Heer admitting he was directly involved in some of the arsons, and had advance knowledge of others where he didn't participate. According to the agreed facts, in one arson associated with the extortion plot in December 2023, the fire jumped to two neighbouring properties in the Cy Becker neighbourhood. Two adults and three children had to be evacuated from one of the homes. A firefighter at the scene searching a house for occupants fell two storeys to the basement when the floor gave way. Court heard he was seriously injured and couldn't work for several weeks. Cellphone, surveillance evidence Police gathered evidence of Heer's involvement in the scheme from a wiretap, recorded Edmonton Remand Centre calls and material discovered on Heer's cellphone. In some cases, other alleged members of the conspiracy filmed the process of setting the homes on fire, and shared it with others in the group. According to the agreed facts, in one group text, Heer said he was paid a little more than $1,000 for one of the arsons, and he continued to do it for the money. In another group chat titled "Not Criminals," Heer and other members of the group talked about creating more "arson teams," getting guns and identifying more home builder targets. WATCH | Extortions orchestrated from India, EPS says: Police say Edmonton area extortions targeting home builders orchestrated from India 2 years ago Edmonton police are investigating 27 events in an ongoing extortion, arson and firearms series affecting the South Asian community in the region. An estimated $9 million in property damage has been reported from the arson and shootings. A list of addresses associated with one developer was found in a note on Heer's cellphone, titled with fire emojis, and police found addresses where arsons took place searched and saved on his phone. Police also discovered a web browser searches for home builders that were targeted as well as the phrase, "How much jail time facing for arsons." Heer was caught several times on surveillance video in the area of arsons, often wearing a "distinctive" pair of red and white striped Nike sneakers that were seized after his arrest. On Friday, Heer additionally pleaded guilty to a dangerous driving offence that took place within the same period as the Project Gaslight crimes on Nov. 25, 2023. Court heard that Heer was driving his father's vehicle on James Mowatt Trail S.W., a road with a speed limit of 60 km/h, at 160km/h. A woman driving with her seven-year-old son in the backseat was attempting to make a left turn in the intersection when Heer crashed into the car, with an EPS investigation finding the impact came at a speed of 124 to 137 km/h. The woman and her son were both injured and taken to hospital, where the boy became unresponsive. Court heard that he underwent emergency neurosurgery, but he was left with a severe traumatic brain injury. According to agreed facts read in that case, he's no longer ambulatory, and lost his vision and likely also his hearing. He will likely require full-time care for the rest of his life. Heer's defence lawyer, Rahul Nanda, has requested a psychological assessment ahead of a sentencing date, which will be scheduled later.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Man in his 20s taken to hospital after early morning assault in North York
Toronto police on scene of an alleged assault investigation in North York on Saturday August 2, 2025. (CP24 photo) Toronto police say a man in his 20s was taken to hospital following an assault in North York early Saturday morning. In an email to officers say they were called to the area of Keele Street and York Boulevard at around 2:26 a.m. A male victim was located with non-life-threatening injuries and transported to hospital. Police say the incident 'appears to be a robbery,' but no suspect information has been released so far. The investigation is ongoing.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Saskatchewan RCMP renew call for answers as missing persons case reaches 50-year mark
Irene Scherban was last seen in the early morning of Aug. 2, 1975 in the Town of Hudson Bay, Sask. (Photo courtesy: Saskatchewan RCMP) It was the early morning of Aug. 2, 1975, in the Town of Hudson Bay, Sask. when Irene Scherban was last seen. Today, she would be 66. The then-teenager was hosting a party that night, a little over a week after her sixteenth birthday. Early the next morning, Scherban was last seen around 3 a.m. in front of her home. Extensive investigations and searches took place in the years that followed, but even 50 years later, she remains missing. The case currently falls under the jurisdiction of the Saskatchewan RCMP Historical Case Unit (HCU), who continue to investigate Scherban's disappearance, which is believed to be suspicious in nature. 'This case is not forgotten. Even after 50 years, we remain committed to seeking the truth,' Cpl. Tanya Gordon, an investigator with the HCU said in a news release ahead of Saturday's anniversary. 'We will continue to investigate Irene's disappearance with the hope of uncovering answers and providing her family with the closure they deserve.' Scherban's family has long sought answers into what happened that night in 1975, especially her mother Pauline, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 92. Even her obituary reflects her years-long search efforts, saying 'she never lost hope for news of her beloved, youngest daughter Irene.' Her surviving family continues to honour Irene's memory, including Irene's niece Briane Jennifer Webb, who was born two months after her aunt's disappearance. 'Now, we will lay a marker that reads, 'May she find peace here between the parents who never gave up hope of her return.' We place it not because we have closure, but because we carry that love and longing forward,' Webb said. 'After all these years, we still believe someone out there knows something. If you do, please come forward, so Irene's story can finally be complete, and our family can find the peace we've been searching for.' At the time of her disappearance, Irene Scherban was believed to have been wearing blue jeans, a blouse and possibly a blue corduroy jacket along with two Hudson Bay Composite High School silver insignia rings. She was not wearing shoes. Anyone with information about Irene's disappearance is asked to report it to police or anonymously through Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers. Hudson Bay is located approximately 200 kilometres north of Yorkton.
