Residents are stunned, but some express a lack of surprise, following the arrest of Antonio Chimienti in connection with the death of his partner, Sacha Charles, on Friday.
The man at the center of this femicide investigation is being labeled by locals in a northwest Barrie neighborhood as “unpleasant” and “not approachable.”
A woman who had gone missing from Barrie was discovered deceased, and her partner has been charged with murder.
Authorities indicated that Sacha Charles and her common-law spouse, Antonio Chimienti, both 46 years old, were last spotted during the final week of October in the Mc Veigh Drive vicinity, near Leacock Drive and Cundles Road West. They were thought to be utilizing a U-Haul cube truck.
On Friday, Barrie police reported that Charles had been found dead and classified the case as a femicide.
Chimienti was taken into custody without incident in Stouffville. He has since been brought back to Barrie and is currently held in custody awaiting a bail hearing. He faces charges for second-degree murder as well as possession under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
No allegations against Chimienti have yet been proven in court.
On Friday afternoon, residents on Mc Veigh Drive who knew Chimienti as “Tony” described him as “not the most approachable person” and “not pleasant.”
Neighbors expressed feelings of shock regarding the news of Charles’s death along with the subsequent murder charge.
An additional resident remarked, “When I heard about the ‘missing’ part, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s kind of weird,’ and then when I heard about what had happened, I was like ‘Oh, I’m not surprised.’ The neighbors know not to talk to him because that’s the code.”
Chimienti reportedly exhibited reckless behavior at times; residents noted he would speed down residential streets and shout at children playing basketball to get off the road according to one neighbor who observed these incidents.
“He’d pull out a Harley, and depending on what mood he was in, he would either be really quiet or he would ride down the sidewalk right in front of you,” one resident shared.
Neighbors were uncertain if Chimienti actually lived at the home on Mc Veigh Drive or if it belonged to another family member since they would see him there for weeks at a time followed by periods where he was absent.
The community believed that the house police were investigating concerning Chimienti’s arrest had been owned by his family for generations.
Residents noted that Charles did not reside at that house.
“She would show up for a night and then leave,” one neighbor commented.
The neighborhood mentioned there were two children involved in their family dynamics.
“It’s really sad because I’m thinking … every time the door opens don’t you expect your mom to walk through?” one local said.
Around Thursday, Oct. 30th police began their presence at Mc Veigh Drive home until they departed early Saturday morning on Nov. 1st according to locals nearby.
. No one seemed aware of what Chimienti did for work. “The whole summer he spent outside doing all this landscaping. I never saw him go to work,” recounted another neighbor. Before his arrest took place there was a dumpster visible on their driveway close by. “I think (they were) renovating,” another person suggested. “The entire house appeared gutted from what I could tell.” Neighbors remembered seeing construction activity around their home since May 2024. “At one point there was even a ‘for sale’ sign planted on their lawn,” shared an additional resident. The house located on Mc Veigh Drive which became central during police investigations now stands silent with no indicators left behind suggesting law enforcement ever visited.
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. No one seemed aware of what Chimienti did for work. “The whole summer he spent outside doing all this landscaping. I never saw him go to work,” recounted another neighbor. Before his arrest took place there was a dumpster visible on their driveway close by. “I think (they were) renovating,” another person suggested. “The entire house appeared gutted from what I could tell.” Neighbors remembered seeing construction activity around their home since May 2024. “At one point there was even a ‘for sale’ sign planted on their lawn,” shared an additional resident. The house located on Mc Veigh Drive which became central during police investigations now stands silent with no indicators left behind suggesting law enforcement ever visited.
It seems well kept overall featuring just simple touches like having some plants placed neatly along its entrance steps.
This small bungalow features only single-car garage typical across many other properties situated throughout Barrie’s various neighborhoods.
Anyone possessing any useful information connected toward helping detectives should reach out directly towards local authorities or offer anonymous tips via Crime Stoppers hotline number 1-800-222-8477 or online platform crimestopperssdm. com.
Police maintained presence around residences located within Mc Veigh Dr last week while conducting thorough investigation revolving around events linked involving Antonio chimientis recent arrest tied specifically leading towards death surrounding spouse Sacha charles | Michael Chorney/At Scene PhotographySource link
