Investigators have determined that last week’s vehicle that caught on fire with a body inside was last rented by Abbotsford resident Suhkdev Dhaliwal.
The 48-year-old was the last person to rent the black Chevrolet Tahoe, and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) is looking to develop a time of events leading up to the report of the burning vehicle and the discovery of the body.
“While we are unable to confirm if Mr. Dhaliwal was the victim in this case, we are interested in speaking to anyone who may have seen or spoken to him”, stated Sergeant Frank Jang of IHIT. “We must also wait for the conclusive findings from the autopsy as well as DNA verification before we are able to positively identify the victim.”
RELATED: Body found after SUV found fully engulfed in flames in Abbotsford field
The Abbotsford Police Department responded to a vehicle fire with a body inside in the 5300-block of Bates Road on Nov. 15 at around 10:30 p.m. Witnesses reported seeing a dark-coloured SUV leaving the scene of the fire towards Mission. Due to the suspicious nature of the incident, IHIT was called in to take conduct of the case.
IHIT continues to work closely with its partners from the Abbotsford Police Department and the B.C. Coroners Service to gather evidence.
The location is on a secluded section of the road between large farm properties – an area that has been home to criminal activity before.
The body of 24-year-old Alexander Blanarou was found dead of a gunshot wound in the field adjacent to the same section of Bates Road in December of 2017. Close to 30 containers of suspected drug-lab material were found dumped in the same area in April, 2015.
