Weeks or days before he died, the victim in a disturbing west Toronto homicide case involving chemicals was arrested at the Vaughan Mills shopping centre with his alleged killer.
Selvin Edgardo Paz Mejia, 40, was an asylum seeker who fled Honduras eight years ago to escape death threats from a notorious gang, according to court records that summarize his refugee claim. The investigation into his death in Toronto began when police responded to a wellness check near Weston Road and Black Creek Drive in late June and found biological remains and chemicals. Emergency response teams specializing in hazardous materials were called to the scene.
Ontario’s forensic pathology service confirmed the remains were human and later identified Paz Mejia as the victim. Court records suggest police believe he died sometime between May 3 and June 27.
Mariana Aburto Hernandez, 22, is charged with first-degree murder and improperly or indecently interfering with a body. She appeared in court on Tuesday morning.
Police remain tight-lipped about the case and many questions remain, but court documents and immigration records shed some light on the victim’s life in Honduras, his years in Toronto and his final days.
Aburto Hernandez and Paz Mejia were arrested together on May 2, 2024, for allegedly shoplifting from the Saks Fifth Avenue and Nike stores at Vaughan Mills, court records show. Both were charged with theft under $5,000, and possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000. Paz Mejia was also charged with two counts of breaching probation orders. The charges have not been tested in court.
Paz Mejia came to Canada as a refugee claimant after fleeing death threats from a gang in Honduras eight years ago, according to court records that summarize the details of his claim.
In September 2015, soon after he opened an Internet café in the city of San Pedro Sula, in northwest Honduras, where he was born, members of the notorious Mara 18 gang showed up and threatened him with guns, saying he would have to make weekly payments to keep his family and business safe, he told authorities.