Arrests made in Owen Sound, Ont. homicide a year after owner killed in dine-and-dash attack

Nearly a year since a popular restaurant owner from Owen Sound, Ont., was killed after a dispute over an unpaid dining bill, police say arrests have been made but will reveal little else to a community desperate for answers. 

Sharif Rahman, 44, died in a London hospital a week after a dine-and-dash involving three male patrons turned violent outside The Curry House the evening of Aug. 17, 2023. Police have since called it a homicide.

An employee, who was also injured and hospitalized, said Rahman followed the men outside when they didn't pay. That's when the restaurant owner was attacked. 

OPP said Thursday that officers made arrests on July 30 but would not say whether charges were laid, or how many people were picked up, citing the "complexity" of the investigation.

"We recognize the significant impact this case has had on the community and we sincerely appreciate everyone's patience as we continue to conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation," an OPP statement said. 

The silence of police this past year has left much of the community feeling frustrated, and stricken by grief.

"Everybody has been questioning and asking whether this thing is ever going to be put to rest, but because the police were very silent about it, nobody knew too much about it," Sikander Umar, president of the Muslim Association of Owen Sound said. 

"Everybody will be happy. At least justice will be served now."

CBC News was in Owen Sound in July, which sits on Georgian Bay's western shore, at the southern base of the Bruce Peninsula in Grey County, and met with multiple community members. The attack on Rahman has shaken people in the city of nearly 22,000 residents that's known for its small-town feel.

"It's been a difficult year," said Mark Barbosa, a local Realtor and friend of Sharif's family who organized an online fundraiser to help them. 

"I think we as human, we need that closure to be able to process. So it's great that it looks like that may be happening now," Barbosa said Thursday. 

Rahman opened The Curry House, which serves vegan Indian cuisine, on Second Avenue East in 2015.

Sharif's widow, Shayela Nasrin, took on running the restaurant after her husband's death, all while raising their eight-year-old daughter.

One year is too long. There's a lot of people still frustrated that nothing has happened.- Don La Haye, Owen Sound resident

She told CBC News in July she felt a sense of hopelessness, but declined to speak further. 

Anis Rahman, the victim's brother, says the death and ongoing investigation have weighed heavily on the family. He said Sharif made the decisions in their family and was providing financial support to his mother and siblings in Bangladesh.

"I never forget him. I never remove him in my mind," said Anis, who dreams about Sharif and visits his grave daily. He remembers his brother as someone who was peaceful and reminded him to not take life too seriously, assuring him that "in the future, everything will be fine."

Mayor wants 'a resolution for the community'

OPP previously released grainy images of two men taking off on foot from the area, as well as images of a suspect vehicle.

CBC News spoke to business owners in the area around the Curry House, and each one said they have provided investigators with security footage from the night of the attack. 

The incident has led to calls for more security cameras in the city's downtown with Owen Sound council approving a three-year, $80,000 pilot project that would bring in 17 new cameras. The city hopes to have them running by September, according to Mayor Ian Boddy. 

"Nobody wants a very popular business person — or anybody — dying as a result of violence in their street. It was a loss to everybody who knew him, and a loss for the community," Boddy said, remembering Sharif as always having a smile on his face. 

He's pleased with the news of the arrests and hopes it will give some closure to the family and the community as a whole, but still encourages the public to be patient. 

"The process still has to play through the court system," Boddy said. "The courts will determine the outcome."

Investigators continue to encourage anyone with tips to come forward to police or anonymously to Crime Stoppers, and said they'll provide updates "when they become available."

"People in this town didn't forget," said Don La Haye, who lives downtown, just steps from The Curry House. 

"It was devastating. He was loved, even for the people that weren't necessarily regulars there. He was friendly to everyone."