Quebec murder suspect arrested in B.C., anti-gang unit says

Montreal police cruisers block of a street in Saint-Michel after a shooting that left a man dead on Thursday, May 11, 2022. (Cosmo Santamaria/CTV News)

A man accused of committing murder in Montreal in 2022 has been arrested in Metro Vancouver.

Lee Van Smath Germain was one of three men charged in January in connection to the May 11, 2022, homicide of Sébastien Giroux, according to a Tuesday statement from the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of B.C.

The other two charged in Giroux’s killing were arrested at the time charges were laid, while a warrant was issued for Germain’s arrest.

According to the CFSEU-BC, the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) determined that Germain had ties to B.C. and requested the anti-gang unit’s assistance in locating him.

Metro Vancouver Transit Police also helped with what the CFSEU-BC described as “a co-ordinated effort” to locate and apprehend Germain.

On July 15, officers executed a search warrant in Burnaby and found Germain, arresting him without incident, police said.

Germain was taken to court and remanded into custody for six days, pending his return to Quebec to face the muder charge, the CFSEU-BC said.

“This arrest highlights the importance of strong partnerships between law enforcement agencies across Canada,” said Sgt. Sarbjit K. Sangha, in the release. “When police agencies share intelligence and work together seamlessly, there are few places where individuals wanted for serious violent offences can evade justice. This arrest is the direct result of that collaboration and our collective commitment to public safety.”

Giroux’s murder occurred in broad daylight, two days before he was due to be sentenced for being an accessory after the fact to a different murder in May 2017. Giroux had pleaded guilty to that charge.

With files from CTV News Montreal’s Amy Luft