First-degree murder charge laid in 2019 gang-related shooting

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/01/2020 (2098 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg police have charged a 23-year-old local man with first-degree murder for a 2019 shooting death they believe was gang-related.

Arnold Mbaka Nduta, 23, was arrested Jan. 22, 2020, following an investigation by the Winnipeg Police Service homicide unit.

He’s alleged to have shot to death Rig Debak Moulebou, 20, at a rental property at 25 Tim Sale Dr. on Nov. 4, 2019. Nduta has no criminal record.

“Anytime you have a homicide where there’s gang involvement, it’s not uncommon to see someone who may not have prior charges or involvement with police commit a serious offence like a homicide,” WPS spokesman Const. Jay Murray said.

“We can acknowledge that we do believe it’s gang-related.”

Prior to his death, Moulebou was charged with at least two firearms offences earlier in the year. He was alleged to have been arrested in possession of a gun that had its serial number tampered with.

Moulebou was a former football player at Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute.

Police were originally called to the scene of the crime on Nov. 4, 2019 at 11:45 p.m. They responded to a report that a man had been shot at a rental condo at 25 Tim Sale Dr.

Upon arrival, officers found a dead man. He was later identified as Moulebou. He was the 40th homicide victim of 2019, a year which saw the city hit its all-time high total — 44.

At the time, neighbours told the Free Press they heard gunfire earlier in the night around 11 p.m. They added that the unit in question was often rented out by its owner and had recently become a nuisance.

Police said the victim did not live at the building.

The WPS homicide unit continued with its investigation, ultimately arresting Nduta on Jan. 22, 2020. He’s been charged with first-degree murder and detained in custody.

Winnipeg has recorded four homicides so far in 2020; arrests have been made in two of the cases.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe