TORONTO -- A man accused of hiring someone to shoot his ex-common law partner with a crossbow in Mississauga in 2018 has now been arrested, Peel Regional Police say.
At a news conference on Tuesday morning, police confirmed 50-year-old Mississauga resident Roger Jaggernauth was taken in custody last week in connection with the "cowardly and heinous" attack, which occurred on the night of Nov. 7, 2018.
Police said a suspect dressed as a deliveryman showed up to a woman's home on Bayberry Drive, in the area of Winston Churchill Boulevard and Highway 401.
When the woman answered the door, the man shot her with a crossbow hidden inside a large box he was carrying.
The 44-year-old victim was critically injured but managed to call 911. She was subsequently rushed to a trauma centre. While she survived the attack, police said she was left with “life-altering” injuries.
The shooter, who has not been identified, is still at large.
Victim says she lives in 'constant pain' and 'fear'
In a video statement screened at Tuesday’s news conference, the victim, whose identity was concealed, spoke about the ordeal, crediting paramedics and police for helping to save her life.
“After finally leaving a volatile and toxic five-year relationship, I was finally feeling happy and looking forward to the life I wanted. That all changed for me when I answered the door that evening to a man posing as a delivery person claiming to have a package for me,” she said.
“In an instant, I was shot with a crossbow fighting for my life while on the phone with a 911 operator until help arrived. I thought I was going to die. With the amazing work of the police and paramedics, I reached the hospital alive.”
She said she underwent three days of life-saving surgeries and was put on a ventilator as her body tried to heal.
“I did not open my eyes for about 10 days. That’s when I realized I survived. Although I survived the attack, I would never be the same again,” she said.
In the past 18 months alone, she said she has undergone 19 medical procedures, “countless CT scans,” and another major surgery.
“To say this has taken a toll on me physically and emotionally is an understatement. Not only do I live with constant pain, but I live in constant fear,” she said.
“Fear for my safety and the safety of those around me. Fear of large crowds, fear of being alone. I even experience anxiety from the sound of the doorbell.”
Police previously released surveillance video of the attack but the perpetrator has not yet been identified.
“If you know anything about the man who did this to me, please call the tip line and speak to investigators,” the victim said in the video. “Don’t let what happened to me happen to anyone else.”
Police say the victim’s ex-partner has been charged with attempted murder, criminal harassment, and counselling an indictable offence.
“Investigators believe Roger Jaggernauth hired someone to commit this offence. This wasn’t a random act,” Det. Sgt. Jim Kettles said Tuesday.
“It is clear due to comments made to the survivor by the suspect that this attack was meant to end the survivor’s life.”
When asked why it took two years to make an arrest in the case, Kettles said investigators wanted to ensure they had sufficient evidence for a criminal charge.
“It is one thing to have suspicion about an individual but it is an entirely different thing to go through this process of collecting sufficient evidence,” he said.
“Some of these investigations can be done in months, others take years. As you can see, we are still working on this. We have still not identified a shooter.”
Police are offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the man who wielded the crossbow.
