Wasaga Beach, Ont., abduction victim's ex-boyfriend charged with criminal harassment

The lawyer representing the family of a woman abducted from a Wasaga Beach, Ont., home by three men last month said her ex-boyfriend was charged with criminal harassment nine days after the kidnapping.

Ontario Provincial Police said Mohamad Lilo, 34, was charged on Jan. 21 in Wasaga Beach and is scheduled to appear virtually in court on Feb. 22.

A spokesperson for the provincial police stated in an email: "The OPP cannot and would never confirm the identity of a victim in a case of criminal harassment."

It concluded: "We cannot comment on any potential connection to the ongoing missing person case in Wasaga Beach."

However, Devin Bains, the lawyer retained by the family of Elnaz Hajtamiri, confirmed to CTV News that "Elnaz is the alleged victim of criminal harassment at the hands of the arrested person."

To date, no charges have been laid in connection with Hajtamiri's Jan. 12 abduction in Wasaga Beach.

WASAGA BEACH ABDUCTION

Hajtamiri's family told CTV News in a recent interview that after being victim to a violent assault in Richmond Hill, she was hiding with loved ones in Wasaga Beach when she was forcibly taken from the home on Trailwood Place.

Investigators said three men in a white Lexus SUV wore police-issued gear and claimed to have a warrant for Hajtamiri's arrest.

They say the homeowner became suspicious but was overpowered by the men who grabbed Hajtamiri and dragged her barefoot through the snow and into the waiting SUV.

"With respect to Elnaz's abduction, there is no news that can be provided with respect to the identity of those assailants," the family's lawyer added.

Elnaz Hajtamiri, who also uses the surname Tamiri, is five feet three inches tall with a slim build and shoulder-length black hair.

"We have to maintain the hope, of course, that Elnaz is alive," Bains said on behalf of the Hajtamiri family.

"There's no reason for us not to think so. She's been abducted, and we want her to come home."

RICHMOND HILL ASSAULT

On Friday, investigators with York Regional Police issued an appeal to the public for help identifying two suspects involved in an attack in Richmond Hill, which they say is "believed to be connected to the ongoing investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police into the abduction of Elnaz Hajtamiri."

In the release, police say a woman was attacked and "struck with a frying pan" on Dec. 20 in an underground parking garage located on King William Crescent in the area of Yonge Street and Bantry Avenue.

They say the two men took off in a car.

The woman, who was not identified in the release, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Investigators are looking to identify two men between 25 and 30-years-old.

Police describe one suspect as six feet two inches tall with a medium build and short, brown hair. He wore a surgical mask, a camo puffed jacket and dark pants.

The second suspect is five feet 10 inches tall with a medium build. He wore a dark, hooded jacket and surgical mask.

Police encourage anyone with information to Hajtamiri's whereabouts to contact the dedicated tip line at 1-833-728-3415 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

With files from CTV's Mike Arsalides