OPP, victim's mother appeal for information on Elnaz Hajtamiri's abduction in Wasaga Beach, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police appealed to the public for any clues connected to Elnaz Hajtamiri's forceful abduction from a home in Wasaga Beach, Ont., three months ago.
"We know someone is out there who has information about Elnaz's whereabouts," said OPP Det. Insp. Martin Graham said Tuesday. "We want to hear from you. We need to hear from you."
Hajtamiri's mother, Fariba Hajtamiri, gave a desperate plea in a pre-recorded video for anyone with information to come forward.
"We desperately need your help," she said. "I beg you as a mother to guide us and tell us anything you know. Please, I beg of you, help us. We are living a desperate life. Please help us find Elnaz."
Police say her family believes Hajtamiri is alive and being held against her will.
To date, no one has been arrested in connection with the abduction.
Graham noted there had also been no ransom demands.
"There has been no information to provide either a motive or a rationale for these crimes," the detective said.
He called it "unusual" to have zero information at this point in the investigation.
"Normally, one would expect in a case such as this that we would receive information from all sources, but for reasons that I do not understand, we have not been in that position since she tragically went missing."
The OPP case manager with the Criminal Investigation Branch urged the public to check their properties and neighbourhoods for any clues that could help in the investigation.
"The OPP and members of Elnaz's family have had one goal since the abduction occurred; to find Elnaz and bring her home safely. We hope that anyone with any information will do the right thing. Come forward to police and help bring resolution to Elnaz's family," Graham concluded.
THE ABDUCTION
Hajtamiri, 37, was forcibly taken from a family member's home in Wasaga Beach on the evening of Jan. 12 by three men posing as cops.
The suspects dragged her barefoot through the snow to a white SUV, possibly a 2016 to 2022 Lexus RX, before fleeing the scene.
The detective said the kidnapping was planned.
"It was organized and appears to be linked directly to the assault some two weeks prior, just before Christmas, in Richmond Hill."
Hajtamiri, who also goes by the surname Tamiri, had been the victim of a brutal assault in a Richmond Hill parking garage that left her with a head wound needing 40 stitches just weeks before the abduction.
The two suspects involved in the assault have not been arrested.
"OPP investigators believe the same individuals are either involved in Elnaz's abduction or can identify those who are responsible," police stated.
Nine days after she went missing, Hajtamiri's former boyfriend, Mohamad Lilo, was arrested and charged with criminal harassment.
The defence lawyer for Lilo, Philippe Grenier, told CTV News his client is expected to be back in court on April 26.
Elnaz Hajtamiri stands roughly five feet three inches tall. She has a slim build and had shoulder-length black hair before it was cut to a shorter length before the abduction.
Police say Hajtamiri emigrated from Iran to Canada less than four years ago.
"My biggest hope is that Elnaz is alive," Graham said. "My biggest fear is that she is not."
They encourage anyone with information regarding Hajtamiri's whereabouts to contact the dedicated tip line at 1-833-728-3415 or remain anonymous by contacting Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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