Toronto pair wanted for murder arrested in Budapest after fleeing the country
Two suspects wanted in connection with a homicide and attempted murder in Hamilton in February have been arrested in Hungary, police announced on Monday.
On Monday, Hamilton Police Acting Detective Sergeant Jim Callender announced that Oliver Karafa, 28-years-old, and Yun (Lucy) Lu Li, 25-years-old, were arrested in Budapest by Hungarian police forces on Saturday.
“It's been one of those journeys that has taken a lot of strides and a lot of new information that has led to this and I would like to thank all the efforts from partners over there in Eastern Europe, specifically the Hungarian Active Search Team,” Callendar said.
Police issued arrest warrants for the couple three months ago in the murder of Tyler Pratt, 39, and the attempted murder of a woman.
On Feb. 28, police responded to a shooting in the area of Arvin Avenue and Hilton Drive shortly after 7 p.m.
Upon arrival, HPS says they found the 26-year-old woman with a gunshot wound on the side of the road. The woman was taken to hospital in serious condition. As officers were investigating, they discovered the body of Tyler Pratt.
The two victims knew each other, but police did not say how.
Within days of the shootings, Hamilton police announced that Karafa and Li had fled the country to Eastern Europe. Police say the couple likely fled the country within 24 hours of the incident.
Sgt. Callendar told the media Monday that HPS is “very comfortable with the motivation [of Karafa and Li], but won't be discussing that, as that would be evidence before the courts.”
Li and Karafa are being held in custody in Hungary and the extradition process is underway, Hamilton Police say.
The trials of the individuals will be held in Canada, according to Callendar.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.