Charges stayed against woman accused in Elnaz Hajtamiri abduction case

Charges have been stayed against one of the suspects in the alleged abduction and disappearance of Elnaz Hajtamiri.

On Tuesday, the Crown stayed all charges against Krystal P. Lawrence, 31, of Brampton.

Lawrence was charged in early 2023 when Ontario Provincial Police released images of suspects believed to have been involved in the kidnapping of then 37-year-old Richmond Hill woman Elnaz Hajtamiri from a home in Wasaga Beach on January 12, 2022.

Released from custody with strict conditions that included a curfew, Lawrence made several virtual court appearances in the year following Hajtamiri's disappearance.

Charges against another woman, Dominique Ewan, also accused in connection with the alleged kidnapping, were stayed in October. Along with kidnapping, Ewan was initially also charged with fraud and possession of property obtained by crime.

According to Ontario police, the alleged mastermind in the case, Mohamad Lilo, who is Hajtamiri's former boyfriend, has been charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping.

Police say she is presumed dead after there has been no trace of her since she went missing more than two years ago.

Police also continue their search for another suspect, Deshawn Davis of Toronto, in connection with the alleged kidnapping.

Several other men remain before the courts in relation to another alleged abduction attempt on Hajtamiri in an underground parking garage in Richmond Hill in December 2021, weeks before she disappeared.

Police say that attempt ultimately prompted her to go into hiding with loved ones in Wasaga Beach, where they say she was forcibly dragged from the home and put into a white Lexus SUV. It would be the last time Hajtamiri was seen by loved ones.