The regional homicide squad says a man gunned down in front of his three-year-old son this week in New Westminster was known to police elsewhere in Canada for his involvement in the drug trade.
The news adds a twist to the death of 33-year-old Nelson Guerrero, who was initially cast by police as a figure without criminal connections who was ambushed and shot Monday night as his son watched from the back seat of his father's car.
At the time, the divorced Mr. Guerrero was returning his son to the child's mother. The shooting began as Mr. Guerrero was in the sedan, and continued as he exited the vehicle under fire. He died within three metres of the car and his son.
The spokesman for the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said Wednesday that initial efforts in the investigation had caused them to revise their assessment of Mr. Guerrero.
"He wasn't known to us regionally, but he was known to other [police]agencies due to the drug trade here and in other areas of Canada," said RCMP Corporal Dale Carr.
He declined to name the other areas of Canada.
IHIT investigators have also confirmed Mr. Guerrero had been incarcerated in the United States for fraud-related offences.
Cpl. Carr said it is routine in any murder investigation to develop a profile of the victim that includes a criminal-records check and other measures to look for clues in the past of the deceased.
"During that sort of investigation of [Mr. Guerrero] that's when this stuff surfaced," he said.
Cpl. Carr said police are making some progress on the case, with tips coming in to IHIT's team and Crimestoppers.
He said the boy is with his mother, and safe, noting police would act if there were issues related to the safety of the pair.