MONTREAL — The Sûreté du Québec has taken over the investigation of a homicide in Laval late Tuesday because of the victim’s affiliation with organized crime.
Sources have confirmed that the 33-year-old man found dead inside a car parked in his garage Tuesday night was Harry Mytil, known to police as a member of the Bo-Gars, a long-established street gang in the Montreal area.
Mytil came to notoriety about a decade ago when he was arrested, along with several other people, for staging a home invasion, on May 8, 2003, in the condominium of a well-known defence lawyer in Longueuil.
Get daily National news
The robbers used a woman the lawyer knew to get him to open his door. Once inside, they forced the lawyer to open a safe by striking him with a firearm and stole money. Mytil was waiting outside the condo in a car helping the robbers while communicating through walkie-talkies.
Mytil’s criminal record includes convictions for other crimes including possession of counterfeit money and possession of a prohibited weapon.
Mytil pleaded guilty to conspiracy and armed robbery in the case and was sentenced to the equivalent of a 4-year prison term in 2005.
- B.C. AG condemns report of death threats and raw bacon at Surrey mosque
- Calgary man charged with running $164M Ponzi scheme involving more than 1,000 victims
- Former Edmonton peace officer placed on house arrest for impersonating a police officer
- Officer charged in Project South investigation trying to plead guilty since February
Sgt. Audrey-Anne Bilodeau said several residents who live near the victim on Henri Julien St. called the police after shots were fired. The first officer on the scene noticed the garage to the victim’s home was open and then noticed he was inside his car, Bilodeau said.
Neighbours also reported hearing a car speed away from the scene after the shots were fired.
Tuesday morning, several crime-scene technicians could be seen outside Mytil’s home. Bilodeau said investigators are searching the area in the hopes of recovering the firearm that was used. Garbage was scheduled to be picked up Wednesday morning in that part of Laval’s Sainte-Rose district and police are looking through garbage cans as part of their effort.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.