Police have charged a Hamilton man with second-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old Melinda Vasilije, who they say was stabbed several times. Police say Ager Mohsin Hasan, 24, fled the country and is wanted in her death.
Vasilije’s body was found on the floor of her Kitchener apartment early Friday morning.
Later that day, police in tactical gear stormed a third floor unit of a Hamilton apartment. As many as 20 officers were involved, as well as a canine unit.
Sources tell CTV they were looking for Hasan, who they say visited his father in the building regularly and was last seen there Thursday evening.
Police say Hasan drove a black 2016 HR-V and was seen crossing into the United States via the Peace Bridge at Fort Erie, Ont. the next day, the same day Vasilije’s remains were discovered.
Hours later, a person matching Hasan’s description was seen removing a licence plate from a vehicle in the parking lot of a Walmart in Harborcreek, Pa., according to state police. The person was then seen attaching the plate to a black HR-V before leaving the scene.
In a statement to CTV, Vasilije’s family said she was a talented hairstylist and a positive, family-oriented person.
Police say a postmortem confirms the cause of death as multiple stab wounds.
The Waterloo Regional Police Service says their investigators are continuing to liaise with U.S. law enforcement in an effort to track down Hasan, who is considered dangerous.
With reporting from CTV's Nicole Lampa
