Man found guilty of kidnapping teen over half-brother's cocaine theft

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 21, 2025 12:38 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

A antheral has been recovered blameworthy of kidnapping a 14-year-old Toronto lad successful March 2020 implicit a cause indebtedness owed by the teen's older half-brother.

In her determination Friday, Superior Court Justice Sandra Nishikawa wrote the kidnapping was a "coordinated plan" aft the member stole 90 kilograms of cocaine from his employers, who were progressive successful cause trafficking. 

The Crown argued that Samir Abdelgadir and his "associates" kidnapped the lad and held him for ransom, Nishikawa wrote.

Five men initially faced charges related to the kidnapping, but Abdelgadir was the lone antheral to look trial. 

The lad was abducted extracurricular his location the greeting of March 4, 2020, portion connected his mode to schoolhouse successful the Jane and Finch area, constabulary said astatine the time. He was carried into a Jeep Wrangler and held successful a Brampton location adjacent Castlemore Road and Gore Road. 

Abdelgadir was not 1 of 2 men who grabbed the boy, but Nishikawa wrote she was convinced beyond tenable uncertainty that helium was driving a Chevrolet Tahoe that was connected country during the abduction. 

"Mr. Abdelgadir stood by successful the Tahoe to support ticker and assistance the kidnapping," she wrote. 

Later that day, the Chevrolet Tahoe was driven to the Brampton location wherever the lad was taken. 

The lad was released connected March 5 adjacent Wanless Drive and Heritage Road successful Brampton, astir 30 kilometres westbound of wherever helium was primitively abducted.

Abdelgadir knew the lad was going to beryllium kidnapped, that helium had been kidnapped, and helium "carried retired his relation of lasting by and being acceptable to assistance if needed," Nishikawa wrote. 

"Based connected the totality of the evidence, guilt is the lone tenable conclusion."