York Regional Police have reported the arrest of a man linked to the December 2021 assault on Elnaz Hajtamiri in Texas, who has been extradited to Canada.
The suspect, 25-year-old Sukhpreet Singh from Mississauga, was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service on August 19, with cooperation from Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Austin Police Department. Singh was brought back to York Region on September 30 and now faces charges of aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit an indictable offense, remaining in custody.
Previously, a nationwide warrant was issued for Singh in 2023 after he was identified as a suspect in the violent incident at an underground parking garage in Richmond Hill where Hajtamiri was assaulted. The victim, then 37, was attacked by multiple individuals with a frying pan on December 20, 2021, near Yonge Street and Bantry Avenue. Following the assault, she was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
In connection with the same incident, four suspects, including Hajtamiri’s ex-boyfriend Mohamad Lilo, were charged in 2022 with attempted murder and attempted kidnapping. Later, three additional suspects were arrested in 2023, bringing the total number of individuals charged in the Richmond Hill case to eight.
Tragically, Hajtamiri was kidnapped on January 12, 2022, from a relative’s home in Wasaga Beach by three individuals masquerading as law enforcement officers. The culprits coerced her at gunpoint and fled in a white Lexus RX SUV. Unfortunately, she has not been located since the abduction.
The investigation into Hajtamiri’s disappearance is ongoing, led by the OPP and York Regional Police. A reward of $100,000 is still offered for any information that leads to her whereabouts.
The case has led to multiple arrests in both Canada and the U.S. Krystal Lawrence of Brampton was charged with kidnapping related to the Wasaga Beach abduction in March 2023. Later, Adams Suleman Ankamah of Brampton was arrested in connection with the same incident for kidnapping and firearms offenses. Deshawn Davis was apprehended by U.S. Marshals in California in August 2024, also for involvement in the kidnapping. He was previously on Canada’s most-wanted list.
Hajtamiri’s family continues to appeal for information, with her mother expressing the agony of living in uncertainty while seeking answers. Authorities are urging anyone with information on Hajtamiri’s disappearance to come forward.