Police connecting two vehicles to an Alta Vista shooting and a murder

Ottawa police are looking to identify two persons of interest in a series of incidents that are now believed to be linked.

On June 4, officers attempted to stop a black Ford Mustang in the area of Greenbank Road and Hunt Club Road. When police approached the truck, the driver fled by “u-turning” and going east on Hunt Club Road.

Officials found the vehicle abandoned hours later.

Several months after on Sept. 9, gunfire was heard in the Tanglewood area of Nepean. Officers found multiple casings and later located an abandoned red Kia Soul on Brockington Crescent with several bullet holes in it.

Police now believe the same people occupied both the Ford Mustang and the Kia Soul.

Officials are also linking the two vehicles to a murder and an unsolved shooting from several years ago.

“It was also determined that the occupants of these two vehicles may be linked to the unsolved March 2021 murder of Leo Santostefano as well as the unsolved shooting on Lamira Street of July 18^, 2022 that resulted in one person suffering non-life threatening injuries,” police said in a press release.

The body of Santostefano was found on a snowmobile trail in the Richmond area on March 7, 2021. Shortly after, police were on the lookout for a 2008 silver Nissan Altima. It was later recovered by police.

The Nissan was the vehicle used by the victim the day of the murder. Police are looking for information on who could have driven it or moved it to the location is was found.

Anyone with information regarding the identity of the persons is asked to contact the Ottawa Police Service Homicide Unit 613-236-1222, ext. 5493 or the Guns and Gangs Unit, ext. 5050.