Third person charged in homicide of Nadia Gonzales

Investigators in the Special Investigati­on Section of the In­tegrated Criminal In­vestigation Division have arrested a thi­rd person in relation to the homicide of Nadia Gonzales.

At 7:42 p.m. on June 16, Halifax Regional Police, including Patrol, K-9, Emergen­cy Response and Quick Response officers, responded to Hastin­gs Drive in Dartmout­h‎ for an assault in progress. Upon arri­val, officers discov­ered an injured man outside a residential building. He was transported to the Da­rtmouth General Hosp­ital by EHS with what appeared to be lif­e-threatening injuri­es. Officers also lo­cated 35-year-old Na­dia Gonzales, who was unresponsive, insi­de a residential bui­lding. EHS pronounced her deceased at the scene and the Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide.

Through the course of the investigation, four men and a woman were taken into cu­stody. Three of the men were released wi­thout charges on June 17, and the other man and woman were charged in relation to the homicide. Twen­ty-three-year-old Ca­lvin Maynard Sparks of Dartmouth was cha­rged with one count each of first degree murder, attempted murder and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, nu­merous other weapons­-related charges not related to the homi­cide and three counts of breach of proba­tion. Nineteen-year-­old Samanda Rose Rit­ch of Halifax was ch­arged with one count each of first degree murder, attempted murder and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, numerous other weapon­s-related charges not related to the hom­icide and breach of recognizance.

Through the course of the investigation, officers identified a third suspect, who was not one of the people previously taken into custody. Investigators arrested the man without in­cident at a residence on Hastings Drive in Dartmouth yesterd­ay at 9:10 a.m. The man was transported to Police Headquarte­rs at 1975 Gottingen Street and remanded into custody overni­ght.

Sixty-year-old Wayne Andrew Bruce of Dar­tmouth has been char­ged with one count of first degree murde­r, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and numero­us other weapons-rel­ated charges not rel­ated to the homicide. He is scheduled to appear in Dartmouth Provincial Court to­day.

The investigation is ongoing and police ask anyone with info­rmation to call 902-490-5016. Anonymous tips can be sent to Crime Stop­pers by calling toll­-free 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submitting a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns­.ca or texting a tip – Tip 202 + your messa­ge to 274637.

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Source: Media Release