Two men facing murder charges for 2023 Laval homicide

Police have arrested two men in connection with the 2023 killing of Marc Issa El-Khoury in Laval. (CTV News)

Quebec police (SQ) arrested two men in connection with a 2023 homicide that was connected to another killing involving a Hell’s Angels member.

Marc Issa El Khoury, 30, was killed on Dec. 2, 2023, on Saint-Martin Boulevard East in Laval, according to an SQ news release.

Hours later, Montreal police (SPVM) responded to a vehicle fire in the Ville-Marie borough that investigators believed was connected to the murder.

The investigations were transferred to the SQ’s major crimes unit.

On Wednesday, the SQ, in collaboration with the Waterloo police in Ontario, arrested Meweal Tesfit Betsuamlak, 20, in Kitchener Ontario and Hamza Hamud Ali, 23, who was detained at the Rivières des Prairies Detention Centre.

“They will appear by videoconference on first-degree murder charges,” the SQ said in a news release.

The victim, Issa El Khoury was known to police and was arrested in March 2019 in connection with the daylight killing of Michael Debaitua-Schulde in a parking lot in Mississauga, Ont.

Montrealer Marckens Vilme, 28, was charged with first-degree murder, and 24-year-old Brandon Reyes was initially charged with accessory after the fact. Reyes’ charge was later upgraded to a charge of first-degree murder.

Joseph Pallotta, a 38-year-old man, surrendered to police on March 17 after a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest was issued.

The three Montrealers were found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to prison for life. Issa El-Khoury was acquitted.