A romantic meeting ended in a violent robbery and abduction for one Ottawa man.
Ottawa police investigators say a 25-year-old man met a young woman on Facebook. The two, who did not know each other, arranged a meeting on an Ottawa street September 4, 2014. That’s when another female showed up. The two women then accompanied the man back to his apartment.
Police say that’s when one of the women left and returned with two other men.
Police say the 4 suspects assaulted the man and tied him up. The suspects cleaned out the victim’s apartment, taking jewelry and electronics. They then transported the man, tied-up, in an SUV, to an unknown residence where they held him for two days. The man was then taken for a ride and dumped in a wooded area near Gananoque, Ontario, about an hour-and-a-half southwest of Ottawa. The victim was able to make his way to a nearby residence for help. He was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
In a separate incident, on September 12, 2014, a 59-year-old man was randomly approached by two men and two women on Montreal Road. The four suspects pulled him into a vehicle and demanded his wallet and cell phone. The victim was driven to a bank on Montreal Road where attempts were made to access his account. The victim was assaulted and abandoned on Montreal Road. He was later treated in hospital and released.
On September 15 and 16, 2014 police made several arrests in connection to these investigations.
In relation to the incident on September 4, 2014 police have charged:
Laura Brahaney, 25, of Ottawa faces several charges including, Robbery, Forcible confinement, Extortion, Kidnapping and Uttering threats.
Lisa Wooley, 27, of Scarborough is charged with Robbery, Conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and Forcible Confinement.
Traevonne Mattis, 28, of Etobicoke faces multiple charges including Robbery, Extortion, Forcible Confinement, Possession of a Weapon and Kidnapping.
In relation to the September 12 incident, Hibanura Ali, 21, of Edmonton, and Brahaney are jointly charged with several offences including: Robbery, Forcible Confinement, Aggravated Assault, Kidnapping, and Extortion.
One suspect remains at large in relation to the September 4, 2014 investigation. He was referred to as "J" by his associates. He is described as a black man, approximately 25 years-old, approximately 6'0", medium build.
The two male suspects for the September 12, 2014 incident have not yet been identified or charged. They were masked during the course of that incident.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ottawa Police Robbery Unit at 613-236-1222 ext. 5116 or Crime Stoppers at 613-233-8477 (TIPS) or toll free at 1-800-222-8477.
