Murder suspect in 2022 Montreal killing arrested at Burnaby home

Lee Van Smath Germain, wanted for a 2022 Montreal murder, was arrested in Burnaby, B.C., after a cross-Canada police collaboration.

Quebec murder fugitive apprehended in Burnaby after cross-Canada manhunt

Google News CA — Crime (EN) reports that British Columbia's organized crime agency has arrested a man wanted in Quebec in connection with a Montreal murder that took place more than three years ago.

The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU) of B.C. confirmed in a news release that Lee Van Smath Germain was taken into custody after a search warrant was served at a residential address in Burnaby, B.C., on Wednesday.

Germain is one of three people charged in January in connection with the death of Sébastien Giroux in Montreal on May 11, 2022. The other two co-accused had already been arrested, leaving Germain as the sole outstanding suspect.

Investigators in Montreal determined that Germain had established ties to British Columbia and began working with the CFSEU as well as Metro Vancouver Transit Police to track him down. The coordinated effort ultimately led officers to the Burnaby property where Germain was located and arrested without incident.

Following his arrest, Germain appeared before a judge and was remanded into custody for six days pending his transfer back to Quebec to face the murder charge.

Sgt. Sarbjit K. Sangha of the CFSEU said the outcome underscores the value of inter-agency cooperation across the country.

"When police agencies share intelligence and work together seamlessly, there are few places where individuals wanted for serious violent offences can evade justice," Sangha said in the release.

The arrest was the result of collaboration between Montreal investigators, the CFSEU, and Metro Vancouver Transit Police — a combination of municipal, provincial, and specialized federal enforcement resources working toward a shared goal.

Source: Google News CA — Crime (EN)