Towing industry sources say a lorry from RMS Towing in Neptune Crescent in London was one of two tow trucks involved in a shooting in south London on Saturday. Photo taken on Monday, November 14, 2022. (Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press)

Content of the article

A London man accused of shooting from a trailer at a rival company’s rig over the weekend is already facing charges after allegedly pointing the gun at a co-worker last year, according to court records.

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

No one was injured in Saturday’s shooting that ended with the arrest of two men in Oakville, but it prompted a towing industry veteran to call for changes in the unregulated sector. Subscribe to receive a curated collection of links and highlights from our award-winning breaking news coverage, in-depth analysis and unparalleled investigative weekday features. By clicking the subscribe button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

Thanks for subscribing!

A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, check your spam folder. The next issue of the LFP Noon News Roundup will be in your inbox soon. We encountered a problem with your registration. PLEASE try again

Content of the article

A tow truck driver was heading south on Adelaide South Road around 10:20 p.m. when another tow truck driver started following him. A passenger in the tailgate fired six shots from a handgun — five hitting the tailgate, one shattering the windshield — before speeding off, London police said. The shooter’s truck was last seen going south on Dearness Drive and was later located in Oakville, where Halton Regional Police arrested two men without incident, police said. According to three London towing industry sources, the shots were fired from an RMS towing vehicle and struck a London Towing & 50 Auto Unlock rig.

Advertising 3

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

The owners of both companies declined to comment on the incident. Blake St. Denis, 21, and Ali Banga, 25, both of London, were charged with occupying a motor vehicle with a firearm, recklessly discharging a weapon with intent to injure and possessing a restricted or prohibited firearm without a licence. St. Denis is additionally charged with failing to comply with a release order and failing to stop for police, while Banga is also charged with breach of probation and two counts of possession of a firearm or ammunition contrary to a restraining order. Both men are being held in custody and are expected to appear in court on Tuesday. St. Denis is already facing multiple gun-related charges following an incident on March 6, 2021, when an SUV with a man and a woman inside pulled up next to another vehicle on Adelaide Street near Huron Street and the driver of the SUV put a weapon. the police said at the time.

Advertising 4

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

Police arrested St. Denis and a 22-year-old woman, seizing a loaded semi-automatic handgun and a prohibited 15-round magazine, police said. St. Dennis was charged with brandishing a firearm, careless storage of a firearm, possession of a firearm, occupying a motor vehicle with a firearm and other weapons offenses. He was released on bail with conditions that included observing a curfew, not contacting his co-defendant or the alleged victim and possessing weapons, court documents state. The case has been sent to the Supreme Court for a trial confirmation hearing – used to confirm the prosecution and defense are ready for an upcoming trial – on July 23. Earlier this year, St. Denis was charged alongside Ali Bhatti – the boyfriend of nurse Lynda Marques, 30, who was fatally shot in the driveway of the couple’s north-west London home on September 10, 2021 – after police seized weapons and drugs from a vehicle and a house in Wateroak Crescent on January 6.

Advertising 5

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

St. Dennis was charged with possession of fentanyl and oxycodone and possession of cocaine with intent to traffic, according to court records. The case returns to court on December 2. The trailer shooting — the city’s 19th shooting incident this year — came one day after a suspicious fire at a trailer on the east end. Firefighters called around 6:15 a.m. Friday to a trailer fire on Clarke Road extinguished the fire and no one was injured, police said, adding that investigators have ruled the fire suspicious. A burned trailer and flatbed truck were visible behind barbed wire at Low Price Towing at 74 Clarke Rd., where a pair of dogs guarded the property. The owner declined to comment on the fire.

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

A pair of fire-damaged trailers are parked in the Low Price Towing lot on Clarke Street in London on Monday, November 14, 2022. (Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press) A police spokesman said investigators are looking into possible links between the fire and the shooting, but towing industry insiders say there is no connection. Dwayne Cameron of Clarke’s & Sturdy’s Services said incidents like the shootings shake public perception and confidence in the towing industry. Drivers often battle each other to be first at accident scenes, said Cameron, director of the London Towing Association which has sought to self-regulate operators in the city. “It will get worse. Our children have been threatened,” he said, adding that some companies have low standards for hiring drivers and only pay them a commission. “That’s why they run around.” Garnet Pride, 56, was killed in an alleged crash involving a trailer in the parking lot of a shopping plaza at Southdale and Wellington streets on July 22, 2022. Abdul Kazoun, 23, was charged with dangerous driving causing death and failing to stop at the scene of an accident causing death . [email protected] Twitter.com/DaleatLFPress

Share this article on your social network

Advertising

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below. 

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Comments

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourages all readers to share their views on our articles.  Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site.  We ask that you keep your comments relevant and respectful.  We’ve enabled email notifications—you’ll now receive an email if you get a reply to your comment, there’s an update on a comment thread you’re following, or if a user follows the comments.  Visit the Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.