With the assistance of the Ontario Provincial Police, Montreal police have arrested a 28-year-old man in connection to the deadly taking pictures of Montreal Mafia member Moreno Gallo’s daughter-in-law final month.
Claudia Iacono, 39, was shot 5 instances at 4:30 p.m. on Could 16 within the car parking zone of her magnificence salon, Salon Deauville, within the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough.
The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) mentioned the suspect was arrested Tuesday evening in Milton, Ont., close to Toronto.
A spokesperson for Quebec’s prosecutor, the Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales, mentioned Joel Richard Clarke is accused of committing first-degree homicide in Iacono’s demise.
Cmdr. Jean-Sébastien Caron, who heads the SPVM’s main crimes unit, held a information convention Wednesday, saying the investigation is ongoing.
“The motive, we’re not capable of offer you that proper now,” mentioned Caron, however the Crown noticed match to cost the person with first-degree homicide.
“A number of issues are occurring in Montreal proper now, and we now have all the data linked to this man.”
Caron mentioned he can not say if Iacono was the meant goal or not.
He declined to hyperlink the killing to organized crime, saying it’s troublesome to make that connection, however, given the first-degree homicide cost, it’s clear the suspect wished to kill Iacono or one other particular person.
“It’s fairly troublesome to say that is the mafia,” mentioned Caron.
He mentioned the suspect is understood to Canadian police and has been related to violent crime previously.
Iacono was Montreal’s eighth homicide of the yr 2023.
“I’m very pleased with the investigators on this case,” mentioned Caron. “It’s uncommon we now have an arrest for first-degree homicide in three weeks.”
There have been a number of violent incidents related to Montreal-area organized crime in latest months.
Francesco Del Balso was shot useless close to the nook of Deacon Road and St-Régis Boulevard in Dorval in Montreal’s West Island on Monday.
Based on organized crime professional Antonio Nicaso, who teaches the topic at Queen’s College, Del Balso as soon as managed playing for the Rizzuto crime household.
Nicaso mentioned Del Balso specialised in unlawful betting actions, however his efforts to carve out his personal house within the area of playing and extortion led to a conflict with the Rizzuto clan.
When there’s violence like this, it reveals an influence imbalance amongst prison organizations, he mentioned.
Del Balso’s homicide confirms the mafia conflict in Montreal is “not but over,” mentioned Nicaso, nevertheless it’s not clear how far the battle will prolong.