Five people have been charged in connection to the death of Hossein Lotfi, a retired North End business owner who was found dead inside his home last month.

Police say Lotfi, 77, had been socializing with two people at his house in The Maples area during the evening of Jan. 5 when things turned violent. Lotfi was left severely injured and incapacitated and the two people left, stealing his vehicle, police said.

Lotfi died from his injuries shortly afterward and the two people returned the next evening, along with three others, police said.

They stole a number of things from Lotfi and set a fire before leaving again, according to police, who said the fire caused an excessive amount of damage inside before burning out.

Some of the stolen items, including Lotfi's identification, bank and credit cards, were used over the following days in and around Winnipeg.

It wasn't until Jan. 9, when police pulled over Lotfi's vehicle for a traffic stop near St. Anne's Road and Fermor Avenue, that they were led to Lotfi's house on Manila Road.

Officers pulled the car over because they did a random check on the licence and noticed those driving did not match the description of the owner. They called Lotfi but didn't get an answer.

Police went to the home on Manila Road after a traffic stop of a vehicle that turned out to belong to Hossein Lotfi. (Tyson Koschik/CBC)

When they arrived at his house, the officers could see there had been a fire inside. They looked around and found Lotfi dead.

Also known as Parviz Lotfi, he lived in the home alone since the death of his wife, Bibi. The couple had operated Joy Beauty Salon on Main Street for more than three decades.

Two women are charged in connection to his death while a man and two youth are charged for offences related to the theft and use of Lotfi's ID and cards.