A 14-year-old male has been arrested and charged following a homicide investigation in connection with the killing of an elderly woman in North York on July 17, Toronto police say. The woman, 71, was fatally stabbed while she was putting groceries into her car in a parking lot.
Shahnaz Pestonji of Toronto was located by officers with stab wounds in a north Toronto parking lot in the Parkway Forest Drive and Sheppard Avenue area on the morning of July 17. Life-saving measures were performed, and she was taken to hospital but was later pronounced dead, TPS said.
To enable identification of the suspect, police had obtained judicial authorization to release the youth’s name and photograph during the search. However, they say that the authorization has now expired and the suspect’s name and photograph can no longer be published or broadcast.
An extensive search was carried out to find the suspect, which included canine units, drones, door-to-door canvassing, and reviews of surveillance footage, police say.
Police believed the teen was using Toronto’s public transit system to travel throughout the city, Pinfold said, adding that the police is asking the public and transit riders to “stay alert and aware of their surroundings.”
Pinfold also encouraged the teen to turn himself in to police.
“We are actively looking for you, and we will find you,” he said.
The 14-year-old is scheduled to appear in court at the Ontario Court of Justice on July 21.
The TPS is asking anyone with information related to the incident to contact police or submit anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers.
