Latest news with #PhilSinclair
Vancouver Sun
a day ago
- Vancouver Sun
Woman in her 70s dead after unprovoked stabbing in Toronto parking lot, police say
TORONTO — A woman in her 70s was killed in what seemed to be an unprovoked stabbing as she was loading her groceries in a Toronto parking lot, police said Thursday. The attack happened just after 9:30 a.m. in the area of Parkway Forest Drive and Sheppard Avenue East, at a commercial plaza near CF Fairview Mall in North York. Duty Insp. Phil Sinclair said the woman appeared to be loading groceries into her car after shopping at the nearby supermarket when she was stabbed. She was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Sinclair said police believe the attack was unprovoked and the relationship between the victim and the suspect is unknown. The male suspect, who investigators said wore a balaclava, fled the area on foot but police said there was no serious threat to public safety. 'We don't believe it's an ongoing major threat, but we do believe it is serious enough for us to keep searching throughout the entire day, and we will continue right into the evening,' Sinclair told reporters. The stabbing marked the city's second homicide near a shopping mall on Thursday, following an early-morning shooting that left a man dead near Yorkdale Mall. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
National Post
a day ago
- National Post
Woman in her 70s dead after unprovoked stabbing in Toronto parking lot, police say
TORONTO — A woman in her 70s was killed in what seemed to be an unprovoked stabbing as she was loading her groceries in a Toronto parking lot, police said Thursday. Article content The attack happened just after 9:30 a.m. in the area of Parkway Forest Drive and Sheppard Avenue East, at a commercial plaza near CF Fairview Mall in North York. Article content Duty Insp. Phil Sinclair said the woman appeared to be loading groceries into her car after shopping at the nearby supermarket when she was stabbed. Article content She was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. Article content Article content Sinclair said police believe the attack was unprovoked and the relationship between the victim and the suspect is unknown. Article content The male suspect, who investigators said wore a balaclava, fled the area on foot but police said there was no serious threat to public safety. Article content 'We don't believe it's an ongoing major threat, but we do believe it is serious enough for us to keep searching throughout the entire day, and we will continue right into the evening,' Sinclair told reporters. The stabbing marked the city's second homicide near a shopping mall on Thursday, following an early-morning shooting that left a man dead near Yorkdale Mall. Article content
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Police ID woman, 71, fatally stabbed in North York parking lot
Toronto police have identified a 71-year-old woman fatally stabbed in a North York parking lot on Thursday in what has been called an "unprovoked" attack. Shahnaz Pestonji, of Toronto, died in hospital, police said in a news release on Thursday. Police say she was attacked while loading groceries into her car. No arrests have been made, but police have released images of the suspect who fled the scene. Police said officers found the woman with stab wounds after they were called to the area of Parkway Forest Drive and Sheppard Avenue E. at around 9:35 a.m. Earlier on Thursday, Duty Insp. Phil Sinclair told reporters the incident was an "unprovoked" attack, judging from surveillance video. "We do understand this is a very deeply concerning incident. It happened during the daytime hours in a busy plaza when many patrons were out simply just shopping, getting their groceries," Sinclair said. Sinclair said the woman had come from a supermarket in the plaza. Pestonji is the city's 22nd homicide victim of the year. At the scene, a car was seen with its trunk open and evidence markers all around near Iqbal Foods, the only grocery store at the plaza. Police said they don't know if there was any relationship between the victim and the suspect. Sinclair told reporters that police believe there is no ongoing threat to the public. When asked how that's possible considering no suspect has been located, he said police are taking the situation seriously. "We do encourage you to be aware of your surroundings. We are treating this investigation with the utmost of seriousness," he said. Some residents fearful after stabbing But some residents are worried. Sruti Mohnty, who shops at the plaza weekly, said she was "freaked out" by the stabbing. Mohnty said she walks her two dogs with her mom every day. "People are just going about their day and to think that someone can just come and kill you here, it's a bit scary," she said. "We should be living in a safe country," she said. "It makes me very sad to see anything happen to anyone living in the community." Nasrat Sarwary's family doctor is in the plaza. He said he's scared too. "This area was very, very safe area. And people are very nice here too," he said. "I'm totally surprised." Sarwary said it's especially shocking that the stabbing happened during the day time and in a busy plaza. Coun. Shelley Carroll, who represents Don Valley North, where the incident took place, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that community members should not hesitate to reach out if they need support. "I'm heartbroken to learn that a woman was killed outside of Iqbal Foods this morning," she said. "This is a devastating and senseless act of violence, and my thoughts are with her family, friends and everyone in the community who has been shaken by this tragedy." Sharp weapon used in attack, police say Sinclair said a sharp weapon was used in the attack, possibly a knife. The suspect is described as a male between five-foot-seven and five-foot-ten-inches tall, wearing all dark clothing and a balaclava at the time of the stabbing. Anyone with information about the incident is being asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
71-year-old woman was ‘getting her groceries' when she was fatally stabbed, police say
Toronto police give an update on a fatal 'unprovoked' stabbing at a plaza in North York on Thursday morning. A 71-year-old woman is dead in what Toronto police say was an 'unprovoked' stabbing at a commercial plaza in North York Thursday morning. It happened just after 9:30 a.m. near Parkway Forest Drive and Sheppard Avenue East, and police said the woman was grocery shopping in the area before the attack. North York stabbing Toronto police are investigating a stabbing at a commercial plaza in North York on July 17, 2025 that left a woman dead. 'From what we can tell, she was simply just getting her groceries and going to her car when she was attacked; there was nothing to indicate that anything led up to (the stabbing),' Duty Insp. Phil Sinclair told reporters at the scene. The woman was rushed to the hospital, where she died shortly after. Police have identified her as 71-year-old Shahnaz Pestonji. She is the city's 22nd homicide victim of the year. Shahnaz Pestonji, 71 Shahnaz Pestonji, 71, is Toronto's 22nd homicide victim of the year. (Toronto Police Service handout) Police said the suspect fled the area on foot. Sinclair described the suspect as a Black male, who is five feet and 10 inches tall. He was wearing dark-coloured clothing and a balaclava at the time of the stabbing. In a news release on Thursday evening, investigators published images of the suspect. Stabbing suspect The person in the photo is wanted in a fatal stabbing in North York on Thursday, July 17, 2025. (Toronto police handout) It's unknown if the suspect and victim are known to each other. Police say the incident was captured on surveillance video. 'We do understand this is a very deeply concerning incident. It happened during the daytime hours in a busy plaza, when many patrons were out simply just shopping, getting their groceries or different items in the plaza as well,' Sinclair said. Sinclair emphasized that although police are not aware of any ongoing threat to public safety, he encouraged those in the area to be 'aware' of their surroundings. 'Senseless act of violence' Coun. Shelley Carroll, who represents the area, said in a statement that the incident has left her heartbroken. 'This is a devastating and senseless act of violence and my thoughts are with her family, friends and everyone in the community who has been shaken by this tragedy,' Carroll said. She added that support is available for anyone impacted by the stabbing through the city's Community Crisis Response Program. 'I will be out in the community over the coming days. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need support,' Carroll said. Police are asking anyone who was in the area at the time of the stabbing to contact them.
CTV News
09-07-2025
- CTV News
Fiery Gardiner collision leaves 1 person dead, 4 others injured
Toronto police say one vehicle flipped over in the westbound lanes near Yonge and Lower Jarvis streets shortly after 5:30 p.m. One person is dead following a fiery multi-vehicle collision on the Gardiner Expressway Tuesday evening. It happened in the westbound lanes near Yonge Street just after 5:30 p.m. 'Information at this time indicated that several vehicles were on fire and individuals were possibly trapped in the vehicles,' said Toronto police Acting Insp. Phil Sinclair of the Traffic Services Unit. Video shared with CTV News Toronto shows at least five vehicles involved in the collision. In the footage, a car flipped on its side in the median is engulfed in flames as the fire spreads into a pickup truck. Several people can be seen getting out of the vehicles and attempting to help others out. Debris is strewn across the highway. Sinclair said one driver was pronounced dead at the scene. He added that four others were taken to the hospital with injuries varying from minor to serious. 'This is obviously a very, very tragic situation which occurred on the highway, a very tragic situation for our first responders as well, and this is a very tough one for us,' the inspector said. 'The events that led up to this collision are currently under investigation.' Chopper 24 captured several charred vehicles after the fire had been put out. Sinclair said investigators would be looking into all the possible factors that may have contributed to the collision. The highway was expected to be closed for several hours as investigators collected evidence. 'It's a very large, complex scene, and I anticipate it'll be quite a few more hours while our collision reconstruction unit collects physical evidence and try to collect statements and video and speak to any witnesses,' Sinclair said.
