Man arrested on kidnapping, shooting charges

Manhunt first made news when police swarmed, arrested wrong person

A Toronto man wanted for almost a year has been arrested over a high-profile March kidnapping incident and an earlier fatal shooting from the summer of 2020.

According to Toronto police, Kwami Garwood, 21, was arrested Friday in northern Ontario by the Timmins Police Service and Ontario Provincial Police in a separate drug investigation.

On Tuesday, Garwood was charged with first-degree murder over the shooting death of 43-year-old Andre Charles, who was killed in broad daylight in a parking lot in Scarborough’s Chester Le neighbourhood on July 4, 2020.

Toronto police say they’ve been looking for Garwood for nearly 10 months.

Garwood had also been wanted by Peel Regional Police for an alleged Brampton abduction on March 28 that prompted a Special Investigations Unit investigation after officers fired upon a car Gardwood was allegedly driving with a female captive, an ex-girlfriend, in the back seat.

Peel police said the woman later escaped from Garwood in a taxi before walking into Peel police 22 Division in Brampton.

Between Toronto police, Peel police and the OPP, Garwood now faces a string of charges, including first-degree murder, threatening death, assault with a weapon, kidnapping, possession of a loaded firearm without a license, and dangerous operation of a vehicle.

A Timmins police spokesperson, Marc Depatie, said Garwood was arrested without incident Friday after drug enforcement officers executed a search warrant at an apartment on the outskirts of downtown Timmins.

Depatie said a considerable amount of narcotics and a loaded handgun were found inside the apartment where Garwood was held and charged along with three other people, including Josiah Blenman, 21, of Pickering.

In relation to the Timmins offences, Garwood was charged with possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, possession of property obtained by and numerous weapons charges including unauthorized possession of a prohibited weapon.

Garwood was further charged with three counts of failing to comply with a release order.

The manhunt for Garwood made headlines in April, when a 17-year-old Toronto boy was cornered and arrested by a swarm of police tactical officers who had mistaken him for the wanted man.

Garwood is scheduled to appear before court at 1911 Eglinton Avenue East on Wednesday and before the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton the same day.

Jason Miller is a Toronto-based reporter for the Star covering crime and justice with interest in the Peel Region. His reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.