One of B.C.'s most wanted for more than a decade, Conor D'Monte has been arrested, police say
An alleged B.C. gang member who has been wanted for more than a decade has been arrested in Puerto Rico, police announced Friday.
The province's gang task force said in a news release that it had been advised of the arrest of Conor D'Monte, one of the men charged with the 2009 murder of Kevin LeClair.
D'Monte was a high-ranking member of the United Nations gang at the time of the slaying, according to the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia.
LeClair was a member of the Red Scorpions gang, according to the CFSEU-BC, and one of many people killed in 2008 and 2009 in the Lower Mainland during the conflict between the two groups.
LeClair was shot in broad daylight at a strip mall in Langley in February 2009, police said.
"While Kevin LeClair’s murder was one of many, it prompted one of the longest and most involved joint investigations in CFSEU-BC’s history, one that continues to this day," the agency said in its news release.
To date, the CFSEU-BC says it has arrested 18 members of the UN gang, 12 of whom have been convicted.
D'Monte had so far eluded the gang task force's grasp, however. Police have previously said they believe he fled Canada in 2011 to avoid prosecution.
In 2019, authorities announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to D'Monte's arrest.
Police renewed their appeal for information in the case as recently as this month, including D'Monte in their list of Metro Vancouver's "Least Wanted Valentines."
The CFSEU-BC said Friday that it is now working with the Lower Mainland's Integrated Homicide Investigation Team and the Canadian government to verify with Puerto Rican authorities that the man arrested is, indeed, Conor D'Monte and arrange for his extradition to Canada.
“The work to hold those accountable for their involvement in violent gang activity and to bring closure to the families of the victims does not end with someone’s arrest," said Asst. Comm. Manny Mann, CFSEU-BC's chief officer, in the release.
"We always knew this day would come and we will now continue our efforts to support the extradition and prosecution."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bomb cyclone batters B.C. with hurricane-force winds, cutting roads and power
Hurricane-force winds of up to 159 km/h have slammed into parts of the British Columbia coast as a massive storm swirling off Vancouver Island severed highways and cut power to about 225,000 people.
A 'lot of ground' remains between Canada Post, workers as strike talks progress
Canada Post and the postal workers union found slivers of consensus Tuesday amid talks with a special mediator, but 'a lot of ground' remains between them on the key concerns as a countrywide strike entered its fifth day.
Judge orders seizure of homes belonging to Montreal billionaire accused of sex abuse
A Quebec Superior Court judge has ordered the seizure of two Montreal-area residences belonging to billionaire Robert Miller, at the request of four women who have filed civil lawsuits alleging he sexually abused them as minors.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Is Justin Trudeau just playing out the clock?
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says Canada is facing critical issues that need an active, engaged federal government right now; but Prime Minister Trudeau seems to be running out the clock before the next election.
Western embassies in Kyiv shut due to Russian air attack threat after Biden policy shift
The U.S. and some other western embassies in Kyiv said that they would stay closed Wednesday for security reasons, with the American delegation saying it had received a warning of a potentially significant Russian air attack on the Ukrainian capital.
Two undersea cables in Baltic Sea disrupted, sparking warnings of possible 'hybrid warfare'
Two undersea internet cables in the Baltic Sea have been suddenly disrupted, according to local telecommunications companies, amid fresh warnings of possible Russian interference with global undersea infrastructure.
'I'm just tickled pink': Two childhood friends from New Brunswick named Rhodes Scholars
Two young women from New Brunswick have won one of the most prestigious and sought-after academic honours in the world.
Canada Post strike could hurt charity donations during holiday season
Charities and non-profits are having to pivot after nearly 55,000 workers represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers walked off the job Friday. The strike has halted mail from going out and charities are concerned it may stop donations from coming in.
Rogers Sports and Media cuts a 'few dozen' jobs in its audio business
Rogers Sports and Media has cut what it says are a 'few dozen' jobs in its audio business.