TORONTO — A woman walking near a bustling intersection in downtown Toronto was allegedly pushed to the ground in a "reportedly unprovoked" daytime attack that left her dead, police said Friday after arresting a man in the case.
Police said the alleged assault happened just north of Yonge Street and King Street, in Toronto's financial district, a little after 11:30 a.m. The woman, who was in her 70s or 80s, had serious head injuries and died at the scene, they said.
A suspect in his 30s fled the area but was arrested a few hours later and will be charged with aggravated assault, police said.
"This is a very, very tragic occurrence," said Acting Insp. Craig Young. "This woman was walking on the sidewalk and reportedly, allegedly, assaulted unprovoked."
Investigators are working to confirm if the alleged assault was unprovoked, Young said, and are looking to speak to witnesses about what happened. They are also seeking video of the incident.
An autopsy will be conducted to confirm what exactly caused the woman's death, Young said, noting that the charge against the man who was arrested could be upgraded.
"He was taken into custody without incident," Young said.
Police also said the suspect matched descriptions of someone alleged to have committed property damage in the area.
Young said police were working on notifying the woman's family about her death.
Blood could be seen on the sidewalk where the woman had died, with yellow police tape blocking off part of the area.
A woman who worked nearby said she had seen two people trying to help a woman on the sidewalk before an ambulance arrived minutes later.
"It pains me greatly that this happens in our city," Young said. "All I would say to the public is just be mindful of your surroundings ... and understand that these attacks do happen, and be very, very careful."
Adrian Ruiz, who lives near the intersection, said the assault, in addition to a string of violent incidents on Toronto's public transit system in recent months, have him concerned for the safety of his wife and children.
"I'm very worried about my wife and my kids walking at night, riding the TTC. I hate driving, but now the TTC ... It's very, very dangerous," said Ruiz.
"We're considering moving."
Mayor John Tory said the assault appears to be another random violent attack on an innocent person in the city – "something that has become far too common in cities across Canada."
Tory said it is a tragedy and expressed his condolences to the woman's family and loved ones.
"We need to do everything we can to determine the root causes of such acts," Tory said in a release.
"We need to invest more in mental health and addiction treatment – we need the provincial and federal governments to do that as soon as possible," he said.
"We need to change some of the laws that are out of date and less effective than they need to be. And we need to continue to invest in anti-violence and neighbourhood initiatives."
Tory also said more police officers are needed downtown and across the city.
Earlier this month he proposed a $48.3 million hike to the police force's budget to hire 200 more officers, including 25 focused on the downtown core.
Tory also introduced a proposed 2023 TTC operating budget this month that includes $4.4 million to hire 50 new special constable positions.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2023
The Canadian Press
