A man who was listed as Canada’s most wanted fugitive over a homicide that occurred in Toronto last year has been arrested in the Maritimes.
Police in Prince Edward Island said 35-year-old Michael Bebee was taken into custody Tuesday evening.
The Charlottetown Police Service said in a news release that at around 7:20 p.m., officers arrested Bebee at a business on Belvedere Avenue.
Charlottetown police said they were contacted by the Toronto Police Service (TPS) late last week requesting help with tips they had received indicating that Bebee might have been in P.E.I. evading an arrest warrant.
On April 23, the Bolo Program – which stands for “be on the lookout” – released an updated list alongside Toronto police of Canada’s top 25 most wanted fugitives. Bebee was listed as number one.
Police said Bebee was wanted for second-degree murder in the shooting death of 29-year-old Shamar Powell-Flowers on July 23, 2023, in the Toronto’s east end near Danforth and Carlaw avenues.
There was a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to Bebee’s arrest.
Charlottetown police said following his arrest, Bebee was brought to a correctional centre.
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Toronto homicide detectives will be travelling to P.E.I. to bring Bebee to Ontario in the coming days.
A release from TPS confirmed Bebee’s arrest and said that it was made following a tip from the public.
TPS said Bebee made a court appearance in Charlottetown on Wednesday and arrangements are being made to bring him back to Toronto.
Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw and Maxime Langlois, the executive director of the Bolo Program, touted the strength of the program and the importance of collaboration in working to arrest wanted individuals.
‘An immense weight’ lifted: victim’s mother
Charmaine Flowers, the mother of victim Shamar Powell-Flowers, said in the TPS release that “an immense weight” has been lifted following an arrest in the case.
She said that many months ago, Toronto police Det. Sgt. Trevor Grieve promised her that when the person alleged to be responsible for her son’s death was arrested, she’d be the first person he called.
“Last night, while I was coming home from work, detective sergeant Grieve made good on that promise,” she said.
“They got him.”
“While it is difficult to describe the flood of emotions that washed over me during that phone call, I know that for the first time in nine months, one of those emotions was elation.”
Charmaine thanked the Bolo program, the Toronto police homicide unit, and the media. She also had kind words for whoever provided police with the information leading to Bebee’s arrest.
“To whoever out there is responsible for giving police the information they needed to put Michael Bebee behind bars, to allow me and my family to take our next steps forward through this awful journey, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you,” she said.
“Please know that if my beautiful Shamar were alive and the tables were turned, he would not have hesitated to help your family in any way he could.”
The second-degree murder charge against Bebee hasn’t been proven in court.
— with files from Gabby Rodrigues
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