Most Wanted Man Arrested
Abilaziz Mohamed was arrested after anonymous information was received about his location.
On April 26, a $250,000 reward was offered for his arrest at the launch of the Bolo program initiative to reward tipsters cash for information leading to the whereabouts of fugitives.
He was wanted by Toronto Police for First Degree murder.
On Wednesday, October 13, 2021, at 11:39 p.m., police responded to a call for a shooting in the Cinemart Drive and Milner Avenue area in Scarborough.
It is reported that a man was located in a parking lot, suffering from a gunshot wound. Officers commenced life-saving measures. The man was transported to hospital by paramedics where he was pronounced deceased. The victim was 43-year-old Craig MacDonald, of Toronto.
Chief James Ramer welcomed the quick arrest.
“Yesterday, Abilaziz Mohamed was BOLO’s number one wanted suspect and today, he is in Toronto Police Service’s custody, thanks to information provided by a member of the public,” he said. “We hope this arrest provides a small amount of closure for the victim’s family. We work proudly and effectively with our BOLO partners and this successful arrest sends a clear message to those who continue to evade justice that you will be found.”
BOLO Program Director Max Langlois was on his way to Montreal when he got the news of Mohamed’s arrest.
“I want to thank Greater Toronto Area citizens for being on the lookout for Mohamed,” he said. “This arrest not only makes GTA communities safer, but it allows the family of the victim to take their next step forward in this awful journey. The message to all those on the BOLO list is clear. The entire country is on the lookout for you. Call a lawyer, call police and make arrangements to turn yourself in.”
Homicide Detective-Sergeant Chris Rhule, the lead investigator in MacDonald’s case, was confident that Mohamed would be arrested after the BOLO initiative media launch.
“We received information that we acted upon that led to the arrest of Mr. Mohamed,” he said. “This speaks to the value of the BOLO program.”
Click here to seeTop 25 Most Wanted.
The BOLO program is helping promote more tips about wanted suspects in cases across the country, said Langlois.
“The Top 25 is an opportunity for us to feature more major crime fugitive cases, generate more awareness about fugitives in Canada and encourage Canadians to be even more on the lookout. What’s more, this list is a living document. What you see today is only the first iteration of our Top 25.”
Toronto Police Chief James Ramer said many of the Toronto cases in reflect the gun violence that has impacted many people in the community.
BOLO – Be On The Look Out – is a term that is commonly used in movies and television shows and also within the law enforcement community.
Launched in 2018, the BOLO program is an initiative leveraging social media and technology to make sure citizens are on the lookout for Canada’s most wanted so they can report sightings and submit tips to help the police arrest these wanted people.
“This program was launched with a simple goal and that is to use innovation to encourage Canadians to be on the lookout for Canada’s most wanted,” said Langlois.
There are 11 other men among the “Top 25” wanted by Toronto Police.
“This is deliberate,” said Langlois. “Toronto Police was our first partner and this “Top 25” is launching here in Toronto with a Toronto focus.”
In addition to Mohamed, those wanted by Toronto Police include Tommy Ngo, Jabreel Elmi, Mohamed Hassan, Darriel Thompson, Usman Kassim, Arian Ghasemmanesh, Abdelmuniem Abdalla, Cararr Brown, Emmanuel Rawson, Rosaleen Wallace and Stephen Duong.
“As fugitives get arrested because they will get arrested, the “Top 25” will be updated, reshuffled and replenished with new suspects,” Langlois said. “We expect changes to the list several times per year.”
“If you have something to say about where Mohamed is or may be, grab the phone and say it now,” Langlois added. “Just don’t wait for another tipster to collect the reward. Call now. Our message to the public is simple. Please be on the lookout. And the message to these fugitives is also simple. Call a lawyer or the police and make arrangements to turn yourself in.”
The Bolo program partners with Crime Stoppers that is a non-profit community-based organization that is operated and governed by a group of volunteers from the community who make up the board of directors and are responsible for all decisions related to tipster rewards, program operations, fundraising initiatives and promotional awareness programs.
“Community safety is a shared responsibility in which we all play a role,” said Crime Stoppers Chair Sean Sportun. “If you know where any of these suspects are and wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers and have confidence that your identity will be protected.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or online at 222tips.com.
Anonymous phone line and web tips are supervised 24 hours daily, seven days a week, 365 days a year in over 200 different languages.
“The information you provide Crime Stoppers will immediately be forwarded to the investigators assigned to these cases,” said Sportun.
