The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) announced on Tuesday that they found the suspect vehicle – a dark blue Mazda 3 – in the March 11 homicide in flames in the 300-block of Tempe Crescent on Saturday. IHIT also released footage of two suspects. Police believe the vehicle was abandoned on Friday and was set on fire only on Saturday at about 7 p.m.
The driver had on a white medical mask and black hoodie and was carrying a grey backpack with a single strap. He wore grey pants with either a patched or torn pattern.
The passenger had on a three-quarter-length black jacket with hood. The jacket had a distinct white symbol on the left shoulder. He wore grey pants and black shoes.
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THE Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) on Saturday called on the public to help further its investigation into Milad Rahimi, 34, who was found shot to death at a North Vancouver grocery store parking lot.
On March 11 at approximately 2:45 p.m., North Vancouver RCMP received multiple reports of shots fired in the parking lot of the Real Canadian Superstore located at 333 Seymour Boulevard.
Frontline officers and BC Emergency Health Services (EHS) attended and located a man suffering from gunshot wounds. The man was taken to hospital and despite all efforts to revive the victim, he succumbed to his injuries.
IHIT said it was releasing the name and photo of the victim to further their investigation. It is hoping to speak to Rahimi’s friends and associates in an effort to build a timeline of his activities for the days leading up to his death.
Rahimi was known to police and his murder has all the markings of a targeted incident.
IHIT said: “We are in the early stages of the investigation and our investigators are working tirelessly to complete priority tasks. We are working closely with the Lower Mainland Integrated Teams, the North Vancouver RCMP, BC Coroners Service and CFSEU-BC.”
According to Staff-Sgt. Lindsey Houghton of the Combined Special Forces Enforcement Unit of B.C. (CFSEU-BC), Rahimi has had ties historically to the United Nations gang and many other gangs, including those in conflict with the UN gang. He suggested that this was going to be a very complex, long investigation.
In 2008, Rahimi was arrested in connection to a violent kidnapping, though all charges against him were stayed later on. In that incident, a 20-year-old man was grabbed in Vancouver and put in a new-model BMW 5-series sedan. The man, who was found in West Vancouver the next day, suffered facial injuries. Rahimi, then 20, was arrested and was to appear in court on charges of kidnapping, unlawful confinement, extortion, assault and robbery.
Canada-wide warrants were issued for the two other suspects, including Mo (Mohammed)Â Rahimi, then 22. But charges against Mo Rahimi were also dropped.
Interestingly, a media report in 2015 stated: “[Mo] Rahimi and his brother Milad vanished for several months last year and police in B.C. received information that they had been killed in Thailand. The reports ended up being false and the siblings returned to the Lower Mainland last fall [2014].”
Anyone that was in the area of the Real Canadian Superstore and Seymour Boulevard and Mt. Seymour Parkway on March 11 between 2:30 and 3 p.m. with CCTV or dash cam is urged to contact IHIT immediately. The suspect vehicle fled north on Seymour Boulevard and then is believed to have turned westbound on Mt. Seymour Parkway. The suspect vehicle is described as a newer model dark blue Mazda 3 hatchback.
IHIT said it will be working with its policing partners including CFSEU-BC in an effort to mitigate any further violence.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the IHIT Information Line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or by email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
