THUNDER BAY - Two men from the Ottawa area have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of a 33-year-old Jordan Lapointe.
Shane Cabral, 19, of Ottawa, and Michael Gomez, 20, of Nepean were charged on Tuesday with first-degree murder following an investigation by the Thunder Bay Police Service.
The charges stem from an incident on Oct. 3 in the 100 block of Frederica Street East where first responders received reports of a structural fire.
After the fire was extinguished, a deceased individual was found inside the house and police ruled the death a homicide. The individual was later identified as Jordan Lapointe of Thunder Bay.
Det. Sgt. Jeremy Pearson of criminal investigations could not provide many details of the incident since it is an ongoing investigation, such as the cause of death or the cause of the fire.
“This was a very complex investigation and continues to be and is ongoing and involves many branches of our service and involves outside agencies such as the Office of the Fire Marshal and the Centre for Forensic Science,” he said.
“We are still awaiting a final report of the Office of the Fire Marshal. That matter will be for them to finalize and will become part of the ongoing prosecution and court process.”
Family of Lapointe said earlier this week that he was beginning addiction recovery and while police said the house and Lapointe were not known to police prior to the incident, the investigation has revealed drugs may have played a role.
“There was an element of drug activity to this overall story,” Pearson said. “With that said, the earlier message that the victim and residence was not previously known to police remains.”
Both Cabral and Gomez were arrested previously on Oct. 22 following a search warrant at a residence on the 200 block of Amelia Street West. A search of the home uncovered a large quantity of suspected fentanyl, crack cocaine, cash, and drug paraphernalia.
Cabral and Gomez were charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking, and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, while Gomez was also charged with obstructing a police officer.
Jan Martin Monteith and Cora Lynne Roberts of Thunder Bay were also charged.
Det. Insp. John Fenell said the two investigations are separate but they highlight the ongoing issues of drugs and addiction in the city.
“These are very complex. We’ve talked about these stories before,” he said. “The drug trade is absolutely an impact on us, whether it’s directly involved or indirectly involved, there’s a great deal of it and an awful lot of violence perpetuated out of it. We are concerned, we are alarmed. We continue to arrest on a regular basis. We are never ending trying to address it.”
Cabral and Gomez remain in custody with another court appearance schedule for next week.
Anyone with information that could assist with this investigation are encouraged to call police at 684-1200 or submit tips through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, online at www.p3tips.com.
ORIGINAL NEWS RELEASE
THUNDER BAY POLICE SERVICE
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Police have charged two men from the Ottawa area with First-Degree Murder in connection with the recent death of a 33-year-old Thunder Bay man.
Shane CABRAL, 19, of Ottawa, and Michael GOMEZ, 20, of Napean face charges of First-Degree Murder for their suspected roles in the Oct. 3 death of Jordan LAPOINTE, 33.
Thunder Bay Police Service officers with the Uniform Patrol Branch were originally dispatched to a residential address in the 100 block of Frederica Street East following reports of a structural fire just after 9:20 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 3.
A deceased individual was located inside the home. As a result, members of the Major Crimes Unit became involved in the investigation of the sudden death and fire.
As a result of their continued investigation, TBPS Major Crimes Unit investigators announced on Friday, Oct. 8 that the sudden death was formally being treated as a homicide investigation.
The investigation led police to identify two male suspects. Major Crimes Unit investigators informed CABRAL and GOMEZ on Tuesday, Oct. 26 of the homicide charges.
Both appeared in court from the District Jail on Wednesday, Oct. 27. Both remain in custody with a future appearance date of Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021.
The investigation remains ongoing.
If you have any information that could assist investigators please call police at 684-1200 or submit tips through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, online at www.p3tips.com.
Both accused were in custody at the District Jail after they were remanded following a Saturday, Oct. 23 bail appearance from the TBPS headquarters. The pair were among four arrested on Friday, Oct. 22 following an unrelated investigation into drug trafficking activity.
