A 14-year-old boy wanted in the stabbing death of a woman loading groceries into her car Thursday morning at a North York plaza has been arrested after a weekend manhunt.
Shahnaz Pestonji, 71, was attacked near Parkway Forest Drive and Sheppard Avenue East in what police described as an “unprovoked” assault that investigators believe started as a robbery.
Pestonji, whose family described her as an “angel on this Earth,” was rushed to hospital but pronounced dead shortly after. The suspect fled, prompting a days-long search that included door-to-door canvassing, drone surveillance, canine units and the review of security footage.
The boy, who is from ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½, was arrested Sunday and charged with second-degree murder, investigators said in a . He can no longer be identified.
The stabbing comes amid a troubling rise in youth violence in the city that some experts describe as a public health crisis. In 2024, ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ police charged 13 minors with homicide — up from three in 2023 — and laid 168 gun-related charges against youth, the highest number since the pandemic. Nearly two-thirds of ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½’s carjacking-related arrests involved minors in 2023.
At a news conference Friday evening, ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ police said they believe the suspect intended to rob Pestonji when she was stabbed.Â
The suspect was believed to be “very knowledgeable of the city, and especially riding the transit system,” Det. Matthew Pinfold said.Â
A number of videos claiming to show the suspect are circulating on social media. ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ police did not confirm if the videos are legitimate.
“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.
The accused is scheduled to appear in court at the Ontario Court of Justice at 10 a.m. on Monday.
The suspect’s age means he cannot be publicly identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Police previously received permission to temporarily release the name and photo of the suspect before the arrest. That permission has now expired.Â
The youngest person to ever be charged and found guilty of murder in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ was 12 when he fatally stabbed his cousin more than 80 times in September 2023.Â
Victim was an ‘angel on this Earth’
Shahnaz Pestonji’s family said she had a distinctive, contagious laugh, loved to travel and was an incredible cook.
Supplied by Pestonji familyPestonji, who worked with veterans and seniors as a nurse at Sunnybrook Hospital before retiring, was “the centre of our world,” her daughter Yasmin, 39, told the Star last week.
“There’s no doubt in any of our minds that she knows how much we loved her,” Yasmin said. “If I could get another hug I would never let go.”
Her family said Pestonji had a distinctive, contagious laugh, loved to travel and was an incredible cook.
“She would never say ‘I’m busy,’ ” her daughter Dina, 41, added. “She made time for everything, especially family.”
With files from Estella Ren
