Trial begins for man accused of murdering girlfriend’s friend two years ago - BERITAJA

The proceedings has begun for a Vaughan man charged pinch the second-degree execution of his girlfriend’s adjacent friend, changeable to decease 2 years ago.

It was May 11, 2024, conscionable aft 5 a.m. erstwhile constabulary were called to a 695 Northcliffe Blvd. adjacent Eglinton and Dufferin streets. Inside portion 404, first responders recovered 20-year-old Makayla Roxburgh-Carpino suffering from life-threatening injuries. She would dice astatine the scene.

Later that evening, 27-year-old Harold Santana Simon was arrested and charged pinch murder. He has pleaded not guilty.

Assistant Crown lawyer Geocelyne Meyers told the assemblage successful her opening reside that Simon fired a slug into Roxburgh-Carpino’s caput aft he fto himself into Sentoree Kamara’s apartment. The 2 women were sleeping successful Kamara’s furniture only minutes before.

“You will perceive from respective witnesses whose grounds will thief you determine what happened successful that room and what Mr. Simon’s intent was erstwhile he pulled the trigger,” said Meyers.

Kamara, the first witnesser to return the stand, testified Wednesday that she dated Simon for about 3 years, but he was her “former” fellow astatine the time.

Kamara described their narration arsenic toxic, calling him suspicious and controlling. She said she had told others, including Roxburgh-Carpino, who she described arsenic a very adjacent friend whom she saw daily, about her concerns regarding Simon.

Kamara said she had fixed Simon a cardinal to her flat because periodically she would inquire him to cheque connected her 10-year-old son, aliases to prime him up arsenic he was coming disconnected the schoolhouse bus. Kamara said she asked for Simon to return the cardinal astatine slightest 5 times successful the days earlier the shooting.

She told tribunal the mates were not talking and said she had blocked him connected Instagram and connected text.

“He was upset. He was calling, texting, telling maine to unblock him,” Kamara said.

Kamara said she past saw Simon about a week earlier the shooting erstwhile he randomly popped by the flat and fto himself done the beforehand door. Video surveillance was shown from May 7 astatine 3:30 a.m., showing a man Kamara identified arsenic Simon stepping done the lobby of the flat building.

On the evening of May 10, Kamara said she and Roxburgh-Carpino decided to spell retired for drinks adjacent Black Creek and Trethewey drives. While astatine the bar, she said Simon nonstop messaged either her aliases her friend done Instagram writing, “This is Santana. I person the phone.”

Kamara said she believed the connection to mean that Simon had her son’s phone, explaining her boy was location unsocial astatine the time.

“I person 2 phones. My iCloud is connected to both,” she explained.

“He was going done the phone. He was going to spot maine talking to men, I conscionable figured.”

A nonstop connection speech betwixt an relationship associated pinch Simon and Roxburgh-Carpino complete Instagram was besides shown, successful which the personification associated pinch Simon wrote “she deliberately trying to ruin my life, smh.”

In summation to the back-and-forth messaging connected Instagram, Kamara said that Simon called Roxburgh-Carpino. She testified that she had videotaped the speech betwixt the 2 connected her telephone because Roxburgh-Carpino had it connected speaker.

The video captured the sound of Roxburgh-Carpino saying, “You stole her location key. You’re stalking her. You’re a stalker.”

Kamara said she couldn’t retrieve really the telephone telephone ended but said erstwhile she returned home, she learned from her boy that Simon had been successful her apartment, removed her TV from the wall equine and taken it pinch him.

“There was nary TV connected the wall,” Kamara said, explaining that she was anxious that Simon was “going to appear. I knew he wanted to talk about what he seen (sic) successful my phone.”

She said the 2 went to furniture about an hr later. Roxburgh-Carpino was sleeping connected the broadside of the furniture adjacent the window, she was lying connected the correct broadside of the furniture adjacent the door, which was closed.

As they were sleeping, Kamara said she heard the beforehand doorway to the flat unfastened earlier Simon barged into her room and woke she and Roxburgh-Carpino up.

“He was telling Makayla to travel retired of the room. He wanted to talk to me,” said Kamara, who said he was angry and loudly yelling.

“I was telling him to support his sound down because my boy was sleeping. He conscionable looked very angry. He was pacing. He couldn’t incorporate himself. He was going up successful her face. He conscionable kept saying ‘get retired of the room’ and he was calling america ‘whores.'”

Kamara said Simon past went into the surviving room and came backmost pinch a firearm successful his hand.

“He conscionable kept saying ‘get retired of the room,'” she said.

When the Crown asked what Roxburgh-Carpino was saying. Kamara answered: “She was confused. She was asking him, ‘What is this for? What is this each about?'”

“I seen (sic) him put the weapon to her caput and sprout her,” Kamara told court, breaking down successful tears, explaining Roxburgh-Carpino was sitting connected the broadside of the furniture and Simon was opinionated correct successful beforehand of her.

“I sewage up and asked him what he did. He ran retired of the house. I ran to Makayla, tried to put unit connected her coiled and called 911,” Kamara said, adding that her boy woke up crying.

Meyers told the assemblage successful the Crown’s opening reside that a Toronto constabulary plainclothes officer, who was progressive successful the apprehension of Simon, is expected to testify.

Simon was arrested during a high-risk takedown about 8:30 p.m. connected May 11, 2024, astatine a state position successful Orillia aft travelling retired of the metropolis successful a Nissan Maxima, which was being driven by the mother of 1 of Simon’s children.

The assemblage was told that they will perceive grounds that a personnel of the squad progressive successful the takedown recovered a handgun successful a container that had been astatine Simon’s feet successful the car.

A firearms master is besides expected to attest that handgun recovered successful the car was the aforesaid weapon usage to termination Roxburgh-Carpino.

Simon is besides charged pinch occupying a centrifugal conveyance knowing location was a prohibited firearm and possessing a loaded prohibited firearm.

He has besides pleaded not blameworthy to those 2 counts.