Toronto police are searching for a 14-year-old male in the stabbing death of a 71-year-old woman in North York.
Police said the victim, Shahnaz Pestonji, was putting groceries into her car at a plaza parking lot in the area of Parkway Forest Drive and Sheppard Avenue when she was attacked around 9:30 a.m. on July 17.
Life-saving measures were performed on Pestonji and she was taken to hospital, but later died, according to Toronto Police Service (TPS).
TPS Homicide and Missing Persons Unit Detective Matthew Pinfold said police believed that the suspect intended to rob Pestonji.
“We now believe that this was a robbery that escalated into a deadly attack,” he told reporters during a news conference on July 18.
TPS says the 14-year-old male is wanted for second-degree murder in Pestonji’s death.
The suspect has been described as about five feet, seven inches tall, weighing 135 pounds. The suspect has a skinny build and was wearing black pants, a black hooded sweatshirt that had “New York - 555” written in white letters on the front.
Police say he has also been seen wearing a balaclava-style face covering, hood, and was carrying a back satchel.
TPS has also obtained judicial authorization to release the teen’s name and photographs. The authorization expires on July 23, Pinfold said.
Pinfold has advised the public not to approach the suspect, as he is considered dangerous. He said if anyone is spotted matching the description or for those who may have information on the suspects’s whereabouts, to call 9-1-1.
Police said the teen was last seen at Kennedy subway station around noon on July 17. Pinfold said they believe he is using the transit system to travel throughout the city.
“We are asking the public and the TTC riders to stay alert and aware of their surroundings. If you see anything suspicious, report it without hesitation,” he said.
He also encouraged the suspect to turn himself in to police.
“We are actively looking for you, and we will find you,” he said.
Police say they have spoken to witnesses and reviewed video surveillance as part of the investigation. TPS has also conducted searches, including door to door canvassing in the search for the suspect. They have also employed canine units and drones, Pinfold said.
Shelly Carroll, Toronto councillor for the Don Valley North area where the attack took place, called it a “devastating and senseless act of violence.”
“My thoughts are with her family, friends, and everyone in the community who has been shaken by this tragedy,” she said in a July 17 post on X.
