A 25-year-old man from Mississauga has been arrested in Texas and faces charges in connection to a 2021 assault on Elnaz Hajtamiri, a woman who has been missing since January 2022.
On August 19, 2025, USMS arrested Sukhpreet Singh. On September 30, 2025, he was extradited back to York Region and was charged with Aggravated Assault and Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence. He remains in custody.
York Regional Police confirmed the man is facing aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and is now in custody in Ontario.
The U.S. Marshals Service apprehended the accused in August before he was transported back to Canada. Police say he is alleged to have attacked Hajtamiri weeks before her abduction.
Last year, OPP Deputy Commissioner Marty Kearns said in a release: “We extend our gratitude to our law enforcement partners at the U.S. Marshals Service for apprehending a dangerous individual wanted in both Canada and the United States.”
Hajtamiri, who was born in Iran, came to Canada in 2018 and found work in the import-export shipping industry, according to a news release from the family.
It is reported that Hajtamiri was allegedly struck with a frying pan in an underground Richmond Hill parking garage in December 2021, suffering a head wound that required 40 stitches. Weeks later, in January 2022, three men dressed in fake police uniforms allegedly kidnapped her from a relative’s home in Wasaga Beach. She has not been seen since and is presumed dead.
Constable Lisa Moskaluk of York Regional Police told CBC Toronto that a public tip led authorities to the suspect in Texas. “Anyone that has any bit of information, even if it’s small, may be the key to unlocking further evidence.”
So far ight people, including Elnaz Hajtamiri’s ex-boyfriend Mohamad Lilo and suspects Sukhpreet Singh, Jaspreet Singh, Harshdeep Binner, Riyasat Singh, and Deshawn Davis, have been charged in connection with this case.
Police believe those involved may also be connected to her subsequent abduction or know who is responsible.
York police continue to seek further leads and are offering a $100,000 reward for information on Hajtamiri’s whereabouts. Authorities urge anyone with information to contact York Regional Police or Crime Stoppers.
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