Toronto rapper wanted for first-degree murder arrested in Los Angeles
Toronto police say that a local rapper wanted on a first-degree murder charge in connection with a deadly shooting earlier this year has been arrested by police in Los Angeles.
In a news release, police said that 22-year-old Hassan Ali, also known as Top5, was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department on Thursday on a Provisional American Arrest Warrant.
Ali’s arrest comes eight months after Hashim Omar Hashi was gunned down while he was waiting to enter the parking garage of his building at 40 Falstaff Avenue near Jane Street on January 31.
At that time, police said that a suspect approached the passenger side of Hashi's vehicle and fired numerous shots at him.
Hashi, 20, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was a student and had no connections to the criminal world, according to investigators.
Two suspects were taken into custody in the weeks that followed, including Ali.
Initially charged with accessory after the fact to murder and failing to comply with probation, Ali was released on bail despite warning signs that he had previously been accused of ignoring orders from the justice system, court documents show. Emmanuel Missah, 24, was charged with accessory after the fact to murder and failing to comply with recognizance.
Ali's charges were later upgraded to first-degree murder and three counts of fail to comply with recognizance on May 20 in connection with the incident but police were unable to locate him.
The Toronto-area rap artist would later be seen connecting with fans on social media, claiming his innocence and addressing fan questions about why he hadn’t turned himself in.
"Isn't Top5 on the run for a body?" one asked during an Instagram live in June.
"The only run I know is the treadmill," Ali responded with a chuckle "I didn't do sh*t. Save that for God."
Anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
With files from Jon Woodward and CP24’s Bryann Aguilar
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with Maple Leafs, dead at 79
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of Canada's team at the 1972 Summit Series, has died at age 79.
Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire doubles in size as 3,000-plus ordered to evacuate
The wildfire that sparked Friday and caused evacuation orders for more than 3,000 people in Fort Nelson, B.C., and the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has grown to nearly 1,700 hectares in size, according to a Saturday morning update from the BC Wildfire Service.
Dutch contestant kicked out of Eurovision hours before tension-plagued song contest final
Hours before the final, Dutch contestant Joost Klein was dramatically booted out by organizers over a backstage incident. He had failed to perform at two dress rehearsals on Friday, and contest organizer the European Broadcasting Union said it was investigating an "incident."
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Haitians demand the resignation and arrest of the country's police chief after a new gang attack
A growing number of civilians and police officers are demanding the dismissal and arrest of Haiti's police chief as heavily armed gangs launched a new attack in the capital of Port-au-Prince, seizing control of yet another police station early Saturday.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'We have no judge for you': Man's assault charges dropped weeks before trial due to lack of judges in Toronto
A man who was accused of sexually and physically assaulting a woman had his charges dropped in April, just weeks before he was set to stand trial in Toronto, due to a lack of judges in the region.