WATCH ABOVE: Police arrested and charged Jason Hay in connection with the Moka Café shootings in Vaughan on Friday, along with a second female suspect. Peter Kim reports.
TORONTO — York Regional Police say 27-year-old Jason Hay has been arrested and charged in connection with the Moka Café shootings in Vaughan in June.
Const. Andy Pattenden said police officers conducted a “high-risk takedown” on Highway 400, between Essa Road and Mapleview Drive, in Barrie, Ont. on Friday.
Hay was located by police in a vehicle travelling northbound on Highway 400 when he was taken into custody along with 25-year-old Tasharia Bennet of Mississauga.
READ MORE: Police identify Mississauga man as suspect in deadly Vaughan café shooting
Hay faces two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. Bennett faces a charge of accessory after the fact and breach of recognizance.
Mike Newton said he was driving up to his cottage with his family when he saw police apprehend the suspects.
“They had come in and pinned the car and then we saw a flurry of activity, we saw plain clothes police as well as I guess for lack of a better description a team of SWAT men jump out,” he said.
“There were regular guns there were what seemed like assault rifles, machine guns … as the collision happened there was a puff of smoke that went up and then there was all this rustling and yelling and activity.
“It happened very quickly, it looked like the suspect was apprehended fairly quickly and there were no gunshots fired.”
Police said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible.
Hay and Bennett are being held in custody and will be in court in Newmarket on Saturday.
Four people were shot on the morning of June 24 after a gunman opened fire at the café, near Islington Avenue and Highway 7, in the community of Woodbridge.
READ MORE: Evidence of gambling operation at Vaughan café where two fatally shot: police
Maria Voci, 47, and Christopher de Simone, 24, both from Vaughan, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the two surviving victims have both been released from hospital but will not be identified in order to ensure their safety.
On July 2, police said they located a stolen 2011 black Nissan Versa with licence plate BVLW 273 that was involved in the fatal shooting.
Police said the vehicle was found abandoned in a parking lot at 67 Westmore Dr. in Etobicoke.
READ MORE: Police find abandoned car of Vaughan café shooting suspect in Etobicoke
On July 8, police said they believed a gambling operation was being run in the back of the café, but could not confirm whether or not that information was connected to the double homicide.
“This arrest comes as a direct result of the hard work of the investigative team in our Homicide Unit,” said Chief Eric Jolliffe.
“These men and women have been working tirelessly on this investigation since this tragic incident took place on June 24. We are appreciative of all of the media coverage and assistance from the citizens of York Region and across the GTA for sharing the images of the suspect and with that assistance we were able to make this arrest.”
Three of four lanes of traffic on Highway 400 remain closed for the ongoing investigation.
Police have created a tip line and anyone with information is asked to call 1-866-876-5423, ext. 2411, or email the Homicide Unit at homicide@yrp.ca, or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS, or leave an anonymous tip online at http://www.1800222tips.com, or text your tip to CRIMES (274637) starting with the word YORK.
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