Investigation Links Suspect to the Tragic Loss of Tyrese Belmore
THUNDER BAY – NEWS – Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) apprehended a suspect in connection with a 2022 homicide case during an unrelated Intelligence Unit search operation on James Street, Thursday morning.
Circumstances Leading to Arrest
TBPS’s Primary Response Branch officers initially responded to a distress call from the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre just before 3 a.m. on June 1, 2022. The report concerned a male who had been admitted with serious injuries.
The victim, later identified as 19-year-old Tyrese BELMORE from Sioux Lookout, tragically succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
In the aftermath of Belmore’s death, TBPS’s Major Crimes and Forensic Identification Units took up the mantle of investigation, linking two addresses — one on Shipley Street and another on Brock Street East – to the ongoing homicide case.
Arrest and Charges
The dedicated efforts of the investigators led to the identification of a male suspect. The suspect was found and arrested during the execution of an unrelated search warrant by TBPS’s Intelligence Unit in the early morning hours of Thursday, June 15.
The arrested individual, 22-year-old Ocean Trinity AYODEJI, of no fixed address, was transported to TBPS headquarters at 1200 Balmoral Street without incident.
AYODEJI has been charged with:
- Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking
- Trafficking in Schedule 1 Substance – Cocaine (2 counts)
- Possession of Proceeds of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5,000
He made his appearance in bail court on Thursday, June 15, and was subsequently remanded into custody with a future court date yet to be determined.
Potential Additional Charge
AYODEJI is also expected to face an additional charge of Second-Degree Murder, a serious crime under the Canadian Criminal Code. If convicted, a Second-Degree Murder charge carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment with no eligibility of parole for a minimum of 10 years, subject to the judge’s discretion.
The investigation is ongoing, and further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
