A man who was recently convicted of attempting to kill members of a Smithville family has now been charged with murder in connection with the death of an elderly woman in Mississauga.
Peel Regional Police say officers attended a home in the area of Cawthra Road and Silver Creek Boulevard in Mississauga around 9:50 a.m. on Dec. 21 and found 83-year-old Maria Araujo dead.
On Monday, police announced they have charged 47-year-old Alexander Bates with first-degree murder in connection with her death.
A Peel police spokesperson confirmed to Global News that Bates is the same individual who was recently convicted of attempting to kill members of a Smithville family on the same day as Maria’s death.
Around 12:20 p.m. on Dec. 21, police responded to home in Smithville, a town south of Grimsby, and found Alberto Araujo and his mother-in-law tied up in the basement.
Bates was convicted of attempting to kill the two after beating them with a baseball bat and leaving them with serious injuries.
When police arrived on scene, Bates pulled out a fake gun and officers shot him, resulting in life-altering injuries.
He has since been sentenced to 13 years in prison as a result of that incident.
Recent court documents revealed Bates was “close friends” with Alberto in 2012, before later being charged with committing “sexual acts” against his then-14-year-old daughter.
Bates was released on bail in relation to those charges, at which point tracking devices were discovered on vehicles belonging to members of the Araujo family.
Bates was convicted of sexual interference and criminal harassment in 2016 and sentenced to three years and six months for both charges.
He was released on parole in February 2018 before being re-arrested on Dec. 21 following the incident in Smithville.
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— With files from Don Mitchell