CHANDIGARH: A second suspect has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the 2023 killing of an Indian origin food delivery driver from Punjab in Mississauga, Canada, police said.
The Homicide Bureau confirmed that Devaunte Thompson (26), of Caledon, was taken into custody in Toronto on July 16. He has been charged with second-degree murder and remains in custody pending a bail hearing before the Ontario Court of Justice.
The case dates back to July 9, 2023, when 24-year-old Gurvinder Nath, of Brampton, was working as a food delivery driver near Britannia Road and Creditview Road.
He was attacked and robbed of his vehicle before being rushed to a trauma centre, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The suspects allegedly fled in his vehicle, triggering a homicide investigation.
A statement issued by the Peel Regional Police said that investigators with the Homicide Bureau had arrested and charged a second man in connection with the 2023 Mississauga homicide.
“On July 9, 2023, at approximately 2:10 a.m., Gurvinder Nath of Brampton was working as a food delivery driver near Britannia Road and Creditview Road when he was violently attacked and robbed of his vehicle. Nath was transported to a trauma centre, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The suspects fled in his vehicle. As previously released, Jazaine Kerr (23), of Mississauga, was arrested on February 15, 2024, and charged with second-degree murder and possession of a prohibited firearm,” it stated.
The statement noted that investigators later identified a second suspect and obtained a Canada-wide warrant for Devaunte Thompson (26), of Caledon, on a charge of second-degree murder.
Thompson was located and arrested in Toronto on July 16 and was remanded in custody pending a bail hearing before the Ontario Court of Justice.
The killing of Nath, a young immigrant working late-night delivery shifts, had drawn widespread concern over the safety of gig workers. Members of the Indian community raised concerns about the risks faced by gig workers, particularly those working overnight.