Ontario man arrested in Texas in relation to 2021 attack on missing woman Elnaz Hajtamiri

A Mississauga man was arrested in Texas and is facing charges in connection to a 2021 attack on Elnaz Hajtamiri, a Mississauga woman who has been missing since 2022.

The 25-year old man faces charges of aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and is in custody in the York Region, York police said in a news release on Friday.

The U.S. Marshals Service arrested the accused in Texas in August before he was transported back to Canada and charged, according to the release.

The man is alleged to be involved in an attack on Hajtamiri that happened weeks before she was kidnapped, police said Friday.

They say Hajtamiri was attacked in December 2021 and hit with a frying pan in an underground parking garage in Richmond Hill. She was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and a head wound that required 40 stitches. The suspects drove away from the scene, police say.

A few weeks later, in January 2022, three suspects dressed in fake police uniforms, broke in and kidnapped Hajtamiri from her relative's house in Wasaga Beach, where she had been staying following the attack. Police say suspects drove away in a white Lexus SUV. Hajtamiri hasn't been seen since.

Including the latest accused, eight people have been arrested in connection to the December attack, including Hajtamiri's ex-boyfriend, police say. OPP have previously said they believe those involved in the attack are likely involved with the kidnapping, or may know who is involved.

There is a $100,000 reward for information leading to Hajtamiri's whereabouts. York police are asking those with information to contact them or Crime Stoppers.