Toronto murder suspect arrested after biking without helmet in BC

A Toronto murder suspect was caught in BC after riding a bike without a helmet.

According to RCMP, the incident began at approximately 1:30 pm PT on Friday, March 15, when Bike Unit officers were on patrol near Barsby Park off Prideaux St in Nanaimo, BC.

Officers encountered a male riding a mountain bike without a helmet, and noticed the bike resembled one that had recently been reported stolen.

Police say a check of the bike’s serial number confirmed it was indeed stolen, at which point the male was arrested for Possession of Stolen Property.

The individual was then asked to identify himself and in doing so, gave several different names to the officers, and produced what appeared to be a fake Ontario driver’s license.

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RCMP transported the male to the Nanaimo detachment and investigated further to find that the male in custody is 19-year-old Kyle Antonio Dias of Etobicoke, Ontario. As of March 19, Dias was listed as one of Toronto’s most wanted.

Dias is wanted for Second Degree Murder by Toronto Police in connection with a shooting that occurred in Toronto on February 13. Police responded to a call at 21 Bergamot Avenue where the victim was discovered outside a building, suffering from gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to hospital, where he died shortly after arrival.

He was identified as 27-year-old Tesfa Welsh-Hope.

The Toronto Police Department advised they will be travelling to Nanaimo to pick up Dias and have him returned to face the murder charge.

Dias is expected to be flown back to Toronto on Wednesday, March 20.

The bike helmet charge was not pursued by the arresting officers, however, they did say the stolen bike was returned to its lawful owner.

TPS