Police offer more detailed description of suspect car in Mississauga gas-and-dash
Posted June 8, 2011 10:38 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Investigators are contacting the owners of thousands of cars matching the description of the suspect vehicle in a fatal Mississauga gas-and-dash incident last month.
Hashem Atifeh Rad, 62, suffered critical injuries when he tried to stop a driver from stealing about $75 worth of gas from a Petro Canada at Truscott Drive and Southdown Road on May 19. Rad, a married father of two, died in hospital days later.
Authorities released a more detailed description of the suspect car Wednesday: a gold or beige 2002-2006 Nissan Altima. Inspector Rob Orr said there are more than 2,000 cars like it registered in the province.
“Our investigators will be following up with each and every one of them,” he said.
“We will find you.”
Peel police are advising anyone who’d like to immediately be ruled out of the investigation to contact them.
The suspect, described as a black man between 20 and 30 years old, was spotted right before the crime covering his licence plates — not far from the scene. He was last seen driving eastbound on the QEW.
Authorities also say there’s nothing to indicate there was serious damage to the car during the hit and run.
“If someone has painted it since, we’ll still be looking at it,” Sgt. Craig Waittier said.
This case has sparked calls to enact Grant’s law, which would require customers to pay for gas before pumping. The law has been in place in British Columbia since 2008.
The law is named after Grant De Patie, 24, who was killed while trying to stop a car from stealing gas from the service station he worked at in Maple Ridge, B.C.
