Woman charged in Elnaz Hajtamiri kidnapping, other suspects outstanding
Posted March 17, 2023 2:09 pm.
Last Updated March 17, 2023 2:38 pm.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) arrested a woman believed to be involved in the abduction of Elnaz Hajtamiri, who was forcibly taken from a home in Wasaga Beach over a year ago.
In an update from investigators on Friday, OPP said 30-year-old Krystal P. Lawrence of Brampton was taken into custody on March 16 and charged with kidnapping. Lawrence, believed to be involved in the disappearance of Hajtamiri, was released with conditions and will appear in court on May 2.
Last week, police in York Region charged a fifth person connected to a separate frying-pan attack on Hajtamiri that occurred at an underground garage in Richmond Hill in December 2021.
On Jan. 12, 2022, at around 8:30 p.m., less than a month after the frying-pan attack, Hajtamiri — who also goes by the surname Tamiri — was abducted from a residence in Wasaga Beach by three suspects dressed in police costumes.
Provincial police identified one of those suspects as 35-year-old Deshawn Davis of Toronto, who remains wanted. Davis is believed to be residing in the GTA.
OPP is currently trying to identify another person of interest in the Wasaga Beach incident.
Police say Elnaz Hajtamiri, 37, was taken from a home in Wasaga Beach on Jan. 12, 2022. Photo courtesy: OPP.
Hajtamiri remains missing, and a $100,000 reward for information about her whereabouts has been offered.
OPP says investigators are still looking to identify one, or potentially two, individuals of interest who rented vehicles in December 2021, around the same time Hajtamiri was assaulted in Richmond Hill.
Authorities say they are not suspects in the kidnapping, but police would like to speak with them as they may have information about the case.
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Hajtimiri has not been seen since police say she was abducted from a relative’s home in Wasaga Beach by three suspects armed with a gun, wearing imitation police gear and disguised in balaclavas. They fled in what is believed to be a white Lexus RX sport utility vehicle.
Hajtamiri, who would now be 38 years old, is described as five-foot-four with a slim build, shoulder-length brown hair, and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a dark knitted sweater, black tights/leggings and light-coloured socks.
The incident has led to pleas from the victim’s family for more information. Her mother, Fariba Hajtamiri, has said the family is “living a desperate life” in an attempt to find a resolution to the disappearance.
