A chilling hunt spanning two provinces ended Thursday with the arrest of 19-year-old Isaiah Thomas Badger in Calgary. He was wanted in connection with two separate, targeted murders – one in Vaughan, Ontario, and another in Toronto – painting a picture of a calculated and ruthless individual.
The investigation began on January 26th when gunshots shattered the afternoon calm of a commercial plaza in Vaughan, near Winges Road and Rowntree Dairy Road. Police arrived to find a man, later identified as 65-year-old Richmond Hill resident Sergio Lopes, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite swift medical attention, Lopes succumbed to his injuries.
Evidence quickly suggested Lopes wasn’t a random victim. Investigators believe he was deliberately targeted, and the case soon expanded to include an arson charge. A black SUV, suspected of involvement in the shooting, was discovered burned and abandoned on Kipling Avenue, north of Woodbridge Avenue.
Authorities had already apprehended one suspect in the Vaughan murder, 19-year-old Jacob “Baby Face” Wallace of Mississauga. Wallace was located in the remote Northern Ontario town of Moosonee and is believed to have been the driver during the fatal shooting. The arrest of Badger represents a significant breakthrough in the case.
But Badger’s alleged crimes didn’t stop in Vaughan. Toronto Police had issued a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest in connection with the February 7th murder of 37-year-old Chandan Kumar Raja Nandakumar. The shooting occurred in the bustling parking lot of the Woodbine Shopping Centre, a scene of everyday life turned deadly.
Police responding to the scene found Nandakumar with life-threatening gunshot wounds. Despite desperate efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead at the hospital. Like the case in Vaughan, investigators believe Nandakumar was specifically targeted.
The coordinated efforts of York Regional Police, the Calgary Police Fugitive Team, and information from the public were instrumental in locating and arresting Badger. These investigations remain active, and authorities continue to seek any information that might shed light on these tragic events.
Anyone with information regarding the murder of Sergio Lopes is urged to contact the York Regional Police Homicide Unit. Similarly, those with details concerning the death of Chandan Kumar Raja Nandakumar are encouraged to reach out to the Toronto Police Homicide unit.
