Thirty-three-year-old to be charged with first-degree murder in September death of Leila Ben Salem
Montreal police have arrested a 33-year-old man in connection with the death of a 45-year-old woman found in her apartment in the Ville-Marie borough on Sept. 22.
Youcef Moussaoui, who was the subject of an arrest warrant, was arrested late Thursday afternoon in Ville-Marie, the Major Crimes Section of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) said in a news release.
He was to appear at the Montreal courthouse the following day, where he will be charged with first-degree murder.
Leila Ben Salem worked for the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). She was killed while in a virtual meeting with a co-worker in her apartment.
Police said the murder did not take place in a context of intimate partner violence.
"The various pieces of evidence gathered during the criminal investigation, including the alleged motive for the murder, will be made public during the court process," it said.
The charge has not been tested in court.
Murder during work call
According to the SPVM, 911 received a call at around 3:25 p.m. on Sept. 22 requesting a wellness check at the apartment building. Officers found an unresponsive woman, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
During the investigation, police said someone had gained access to her apartment and beaten her to death, CTV News Montreal reported. Ben Salem had recently bought her condo in the building, which was undergoing renovations.
In the days after her death, police said investigators had met with a "person of interest" in the case, but declined to say whether that person had a relationship with the victim, according to CTV. The SPVM's arrest release does not say whether Moussaoui was the person of interest.
As a federal government employee, Ben Salem would be subject to the Canada Labour Code, while provinces such as Quebec have also amended health and safety legislation to extend the concept of workplace to remote work, “and therefore the obligations that would normally apply in a traditional work environment or workplace are now being applied,” said Patrick Essiminy, a partner and head of the Montreal office's Employment & Labour Group at Stikeman Elliott, in speaking to Canadian HR Reporter.
Condolences from Ottawa
Ben Salem's death drew condolences from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, the CRA, the Union of Taxation Employees and Prime Minister Mark Carney, CTV News Montreal reported.
Carney described her as "a valued member of the Canada Revenue Agency, dedicated to serving Canadians, which she was doing at the time of her assault." In a statement in the House of Commons last month, he offered support for police "so that the perpetrator of this shameful crime pays the full price," CTV reported.
