Niagara police has arrested and charged two men in the investigation of an elderly Pelham man’s death.
Detectives with the homicide unit with the Niagara Regional Police Service arrested Jason Lusted, 49, of no fixed address on Saturday. He is charged with second degree murder.
Matthew MacInnes, 39, of Wellandport on Friday afternoon was also arrested and charged with second degree murder.
Detectives are attempting to locate a 2007-2014 black Ford Expedition that may be associated with one of the men and allegedly driven on the night of the incident.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Niagara Regional Police Service Homicide Unit at 905-688-4111, Option 3, badge 9134
Lusted has been held in custody, pending a video bail hearing, expected to take place on Sunday.
MacInnes is also being held in custody and was expected to attend a video bail hearing Saturday. Police did not say if that occurred.
The investigation is ongoing.
Police were called to a Pelham neighbourhood early Friday Oct. 2 to find an Earl Clapp, 74, who was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene.
“Detectives with the Niagara Regional Police Service Homicide Unit have reason to believe that the male victim may have interrupted an attempted theft of one of his trailers on the victim’s property, on Centre Street in the town of Pelham, prior to 2:41 a.m. on Friday,” said a NRPS alert.
Clapp was struck and dragged by the vehicle as it fled north on Centre Street, then west on Highway 20. He was later discovered dead by police near Cream Street.
Welland’s 3 District uniform officers, K9, and emergency services responded to a call to Highway 20 and Cream Street in Pelham at 2:42 a.m. Friday. Police say the call was “in response to a welfare check.”
The incident was investigated by Niagara police detectives along with the Collision Reconstruction Unit, the Forensic Service Unit, and the office of the Coroner.