Homicide team reveals information on victim of taxi shooting
The taxi passenger fatally shot in Surrey, B.C., earlier this week had recently been convicted of a drug offence, homicide investigators say.
David Chavez-Jara, a resident of the city where he died, was killed Tuesday afternoon in a shooting in the Guildford area.
He'd been a passenger in a cab at the time, and died at the scene. The taxi driver is in hospital with serious injuries.
An outreach worker, who wanted to remain anonymous for her safety, said she's known Chavez-Jara for a long time, describing him as humble and generous.
"He would buy food, clothing for people that really needed it," she told CTV News.
"He was such a nice guy, like, he helped out a lot. He made sure people were OK," she added.
The victim was publicly identified by the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team Wednesday.
IHIT said the 30-year-old was "well known" to police, and had recently been convicted on a charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking.
"When someone like this is killed, they no longer have the opportunity to turn their lives around and to do more for their community," said Sgt. Timothy Pierotti, the media relations officer for IHIT.
Shots were fired at a taxi parked just outside Church’s Chicken at 2:18 p.m. Tuesday.
Witnesses saw Chavez-Jara bleeding and clutching his lower back.
Chavez-Jara's death is believed by IHIT to be targeted. The team did not say whether it has uncovered any ties to ongoing gang violence in the Lower Mainland.
Police say the shooting showed a total disregard for public safety.
"These things unfortunately do happen. Thankfully, it is few and far between. Surrey, and the Lower Mainland in general, is still a safe place to be," said Pierotti.
The taxi driver's employer issued a statement saying he was in stable condition by Wednesday.
Gurminder Singh, general manager of Newton Whalley Hi-Way Taxi Ltd., said he understood the interest in what happened, but that the company does not want to get in the way of the police investigation.
He asked the public to "avoid any unwanted rumours or statement/comments that harm our company's relationships with multiple organizations, might also affect in business, driver earnings."
"Such daylight shootings in commercial vehicles are never acceptable since they pose a major risk to both our drivers and customers," Singh wrote.
"We are considering every aspect of driver and public safety and requesting everyone to be patient as this investigation is (underway)."
He said the company is committed to providing customer service to the community, and that there would be no further comment.
The area has since opened up again and olice are still investigating the case.
Anyone with information or dash cam footage between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Tuesday is urged to contact the IHIT Information Line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or by email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Boeing is on the verge of launching astronauts aboard new capsule, the newest entry to space travel
It’s the first flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule with a crew on board, a pair of NASA pilots who will check out the spacecraft during the test drive and a weeklong stay at the space station.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.