Suspect in Canada kidnapping plot could have more victims, authorities say

A Michigan man has been arrested and charged in the U.S. with attempted kidnapping of a minor and is facing multiple criminal charges in Canada.

Shahzad Hameedi, 46, of Royal Oak, Michigan is facing charges of aggravated sexual assault and sexual interference, after he allegedly sexually assaulted a four-year-old boy, Windsor, Ontario Police Staff Sergeant David Tennent, said during a press conference Friday.

“I don’t remember laying charges like this against an individual for something like this. This is very, very serious,” the sergeant explained.

The case—described by U.S. prosecutors and Windsor police as an alleged cross‑border plot that included a violent home invasion and evidence of a planned abduction—has prompted investigators to warn there may be additional victims across Canada and several U.S. states.

Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan by email during non-working hours Saturday for more information on court appearances and legal representation for Hameedi.

The charges have not been proven in court, and all defendants are innocent until proven guilty.

Why it Matters

Law enforcement agencies characterize the alleged plan as a violent, cross‑border threat to children and families and say the suspect used multiple identities that may have enabled him to target victims in different jurisdictions.

The allegations raise public safety concerns, and investigative challenges for police in Ontario and U.S. jurisdictions, and could lead to prosecutions in both countries.

What To Know

Investigators say the probe began in June 2025 after a Windsor mother reported injuries on her son following unsupervised contact with Hameedi, whom she had met on a dating app earlier in 2025.

Medical examiners determined the child’s injuries were consistent with sexual assault, Tennent said.

Windsor investigators and U.S. authorities later linked a masked night‑time home invasion and assault on the boy’s mother to Hameedi.

When law enforcement executed search warrants at Hameedi’s Royal Oak residence, officials say they found a laminated ransom note, a stun gun, zip ties and other items they say were tailored for an abduction, according to a report from ClickOnDetroit.com.

Tennent told reporters Hameedi used several aliases and may have exploited online dating sites to establish contact with victims across Canada and in U.S. states including Michigan, Indiana and New York.

What People Are Saying

U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon said in a press release: “The defendant’s alleged plan to kidnap a young child by sneaking across the border to Canada, breaking into a mother’s home at night, strangling her, and then assaulting her innocent, young child two days later is diabolical. No parent or child should ever be subjected to this wickedness. We will bring the full force of the law against violent predators.”

Windsor Police Staff Sergeant David Tennent said during a press conference Friday: “There’s going to be some legal back and forth between the lawyers in the States and the lawyers in Canada as to what happens [and we’ll see what happens] with our charges here in Canada.”

What Happens Next

Hameedi remains detained in Michigan and faces U.S. prosecution first, with Windsor police pursuing extradition so he can eventually face Canadian charges, officials said.

“The steps right now are, he will be prosecuted in the U.S., and then, in Canada, we’re basically in a hold and wait to see situation,” Tennent told reporters.

Investigators across multiple agencies, including Windsor Police, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and U.S. authorities, continue to probe whether Hameedi used aliases to target other victims.

Authorities have urged anyone with information about Hameedi’s aliases, online profiles or possible other victims to contact the Windsor Police Major Crimes Unit or Crime Stoppers.