Police watched men enter car used in killing
Surveillance team got tip from major crimes officer
An Ottawa police surveillance team watched as two men appeared to clean out a car used during a 2010 shooting that killed a 16-year-old before moving in to arrest them, an Ottawa court heard Tuesday.
The surveillance team had been searching for the car used in the Dec. 6, 2010, killing of Yazdan Ghiasvand Ghiasi, court heard Tuesday at the manslaughter trial for Abdulhamid Wehbe.
At 8:10 p.m. on Dec. 6, the surveillance team learned from Sgt. Mike Hudson of the Ottawa police major crime unit that the car might be parked in a lot outside an apartment building at 1170 Fisher Ave.
A minute later, Det. Keith Theobald spotted the blue Nissan Maxima in the north parking lot of the apartment building, he testified.
He had already been searching for the car near Fisher Avenue.
Theobald told court he got out of his vehicle and looked at the Maxima. He saw water pellets that had frozen on the bumper and saw that the glass on the sunroof had been smashed, Theobald told court.
After notifying his team that he had found the car, they set up surveillance to watch for any activity at the vehicle.
At 2:20 a.m., a dark-coloured Mazda pulled up in front of the Maxima, court heard.
A man wearing a hoodie got out of the Mazda and joined a man who had been walking his dog on the grounds of the apartment building, court heard.
Det. Alex Kay, another member of the Ottawa police surveillance team, testified Tuesday that he saw the man with the dog get into the driver’s seat of the Maxima.
The other man went to and from the Mazda several times before getting into the back of the Maxima with a white rag and a plastic bag, court heard. Kay testified that the men appeared to be cleaning the inside of the car.
At 2:23 a.m., the surveillance team was instructed by Hudson to arrest the men. The surveillance team boxed in the two cars with their vehicles to prevent them from driving away, court heard.
Det. Rob Houston, the surveillance team “road boss” that night, testified Tuesday he was closest to the man in the back seat of the Maxima when he approached the two cars.
Houston ordered the man, who was later identified as Khaled Wehbe, to come out with his hands up.
The other man in the car was arrested and told Theobald his name was Zakaria Dourhnou, but he didn’t have identification with him.
Dourhnou and Wehbe both later pleaded guilty to attempting to obstruct justice for cleaning out the car. Dourhnou also pleaded guilty to breach of probation.
An arrest warrant was issued for the alleged shooter in the Ghiasi homicide, Mohamed Wehbe, but it is believed he has fled the country.
The trial continues Wednesday.