2 men charged after woman, dog shot and killed in Markham home
Home had been shot at 5 times since 2018, police say
Two men have been charged with first-degree murder after a woman was shot and killed in a Markham home in March.
York police responded to the shooting on Solace Road on March 7, around 6:30 a.m. They found a man and a woman inside who had been shot, police said in a news release Wednesday.
They were taken to hospital where the woman was pronounced dead. A dog was also shot inside the home and died from his injuries.
Police identified the woman as Nilakshi Raguthas, 20, of Markham. The man, 26, also from Markham, sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Officers arrested a 28-year-old man on March 21 after executing a search warrant in Toronto. He was charged with three counts of failure to comply with a judicial release order and two counts of operating a conveyance while prohibited.
Ten days later, while the accused was still in custody, he was charged in relation to the Markham shooting, the release said. He remains in custody and is set to appear in court on April 14.
Officers arrested the second accused, a 35-year-old man, in Toronto on April 1. Police did not provide an expected court date.
Both men have been charged with first-degree murder, attempt to commit murder and killing or injuring animals. The 35-year-old has also been charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and two counts of failure to comply with a judicial release order.
At the time of the shooting, both men were out on bail for unrelated offences, the release said.
Police have said the home was shot at five times since 2018, including three times last year alone.
A police spokesperson would not detail a suspected motive, but did confirm a person living inside the house was connected to the tow truck industry.
Greater Toronto Area police forces have tied several violent shootings to alleged turf wars among a small number of tow truck operators with ties to organized crime.
Police are treating the shooting as a targeted incident and continue to look for witnesses.
Anyone with information is asked to contact York police or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers.
With files from The Canadian Press