A second arrest has been made in the case of a devastating 2021 arson, one that completely consumed a multi-million dollar mansion still under construction. The home, located in Montreal’s Ahuntsic–Cartierville borough, belonged to an executive connected to a prominent online entertainment company.
Mohamed Aymen Tayeb, 28, was apprehended Thursday morning in Montreal’s Ville-Marie borough. He now faces arson charges, brought forth by the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), and made his first court appearance later that day.
This arrest follows the detention of Claudy Lafond, 39, who was taken into custody Sunday at Bordeaux Prison. Lafond is currently facing three charges related to the April 25, 2021, blaze that reduced the Jean-Bourdon Ave. property to rubble.
The mansion, valued at an estimated $19.5 million at the time of its destruction, was instantly recognizable as a significant loss. The fire quickly drew widespread media attention, fueled by the scale of the damage and the circumstances surrounding the property.
The initial 911 call came from a witness who reported seeing two individuals breaking into the house. When police arrived, they discovered the structure already engulfed in flames, a scene of intense destruction.
Reports from 2021 indicate the arson occurred just three days after a media story highlighted the property and its owner, Feras Antoon, an executive with the company overseeing Pornhub. The timing raised immediate questions about a potential connection.
The investigation continues, with authorities meticulously piecing together the events leading up to the fire. The case remains a focal point for investigators seeking to understand the motives behind this deliberate act of destruction.
