The police are searching for a man wanted in connection with the shooting of an innocent victim in Schomberg last year after he removed his monitoring device.

The York Regional Police said they do not know the whereabouts of 43-year-old Ronald Mortaya Cruz, who is facing two charges of participating in organized crime activities.

According to investigators, Mortaya Cruz is a member of the street gang MS-13, which was hired by an organized crime group in February 2023 to kill a man.

The police allege that the group targeted the wrong person, shooting a 65-year-old man who was walking his dog in the morning.

The victim survived. The police executed search warrants at several locations months later, resulting in the arrest of eight people, including Mortaya Cruz.

The 43-year-old man was later released on bail and was put under conditions, including wearing a GPS monitoring device.

The police stated in a press release on Thursday that investigators learned Mortaya Cruz removed the device in May.

He was last seen near Keele Street and Grandravine Drive in Toronto.

The police said, "All investigative avenues have been exhausted, and his whereabouts remain unknown."

Mortaya Cruz is now wanted for three charges related to non-compliance with a release order.

The police said he is considered armed and dangerous, and the 43-year-old man, also known as Azul, is of heavy build, with short black hair, a long black or gray beard, and brown eyes.

He has tattoos on his right hand and arms, as well as the left side of his neck.

The police said Mortaya Cruz has connections in the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton.

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to contact investigators at

1-866-876-5423 ext. 6970 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at

1-800-222-TIPS (8477).