The youth accused of allegedly stabbing and killing a 71-year-old woman last week made his first appearance in youth court Monday morning.
Last Thursday, Shahnaz Pestonji was attacked while loading her groceries into her car at a plaza near around 9:30 a.m. She was taken to hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
The 14-year-old was in custody at 14 Division where he appeared via video in court at 10 Armoury St. He was wearing an orange jumpsuit and answered the Justice of the Peace’s questions curtly, saying he understood the charges against him. The court said his parents had been notified and a list of people he was not allowed to contact was read into the record.
The Crown is seeking detention on all grounds, but the accused will need a special bail hearing. His lawyer was present, but they had not spoken about the incident. The matter was adjourned for one week.
ѻý police have identified Shahnaz Pestonji, 71, seen in this undated photo, as the victim of a stabbing in a North York parking lot on Thursday.
HO/The Canadian Press
Police first described that attack on Pestonji as a random, unprovoked attack on Thursday, but when they release details of the suspect in an update on Friday, said that the assailant was trying to rob the victim.
There were videos circulating on social media on the weekend claiming to show the suspect wearing a mask and doing an interview, where a male talked about the incident and even spoke about his motive. The videos have not been verified as being accurate, but police are aware of them.
“We are aware of the videos circulating online. This remains an active investigation, and we are urging anyone who has any information to contact the police,” police spokesperson, Viktor Sarudi, told the Star in an email.
“We can’t even think why did this happen, because there’s literally no right or wrong reason why this happened,” said Dina, 41, Shahnaz’s daughter. “That’s going to drive us crazy.”
The accused youth returns to court on July 28.
With files from Elissa Mendes
Raju Mudhar is a ѻý-based reporter for the Star
covering breaking news. Reach him via email: rmudhar@thestar.ca
