Toronto police investigate homicide after man found dead in North York apartment
A man in his early 30s was found dead in a Lawrence Heights apartment Sunday morning, and police say the suspect fled.
Explainer
Toronto police are investigating a homicide after a man in his early 30s was found dead in a North York apartment building Sunday morning.
Officers responded to reports of a disturbance in a home near Lawrence Avenue W. and William R. Allen Road around 8:19 a.m., Toronto police said in a post on social media platform X.
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A man with injuries was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. No other injuries were reported.
"Officers secured the scene and conducted a sweep of the area, rendering the area safe for the public," Det. Sgt. Sajeev Nair said at a news conference Sunday afternoon.
Nair said officers were called to an apartment building in the area of Flemington Road and Blossom Field Drive.
Some people, including the suspect, fled from the fourth floor unit, he said.
The victim has not been identified yet, Nair said, adding that he was in his early 30s.
What do police know about the suspect?
Nair could not say what the relationship was between the man and the suspect, but said the suspect was last seen heading north away from the building.
"We're not ready to release a suspect description, but what I can tell you is that this apartment building has a significant amount of video surveillance," he said. "It's only going to be a matter of time before we have a good image of the suspect."
The victim suffered a traumatic injury, Nair said, but did not say how it was inflicted.
The homicide team has taken over the investigation, police said.
How did neighbours react?
Gladys Sarrazin, who lives in the neighbourhood, told CBC Toronto she doesn't go out late at night, opting instead to stay home with her daughter.
"There's so much happening," she said. "I grew up in this area and I'm seeing more now than I ever did in 60 years. So it's bad."
Ashley Shay, another neighbour, said it was an "intense" morning, adding she was "very sad to hear" about the incident.
"That's just very scary because there's a lot of kids in the area, there's two schools in the area," she told CBC Toronto. "It's just very worrisome. So hopefully the police do their due diligence and just help the family get closure and find out what's going on because this is very unacceptable."
"My son is asking me, 'what's going on, mommy?' and I'm not able to give him answers," she said.
What did the local councillor say?
Coun. Mike Colle (Eglinton-Lawrence) told CBC Toronto that work had been done in the Lawrence Heights area to address crime, including opening a mini police station, increasing Toronto Community Housing Corporation security and running youth programs.
"I was really dreading that this would happen because it's been so good," he said. "This shatters all the good work. It really makes me sick to my stomach."
Colle said he believes sentencing for serious crimes should be increased.
"We're all really disgusted and distraught and we feel so awful that another person's lost their life," Colle added.
Was there another homicide investigation?
In a separate incident, the homicide unit is also investigating after a man was found dead inside a home in the Lawrence Heights neighbourhood, according to CityNews.
Police were also investigating the circumstances surrounding the early morning death of a 31-year-old man near York University, CityNews reported.
Investigators say they were called about reports of a man lying in the road on Keele Street, just south of Steeles Avenue, just before 2 a.m. Sunday.
Police say a 22-year-old driving a 2017 Gray Honda Accord northbound on Keele struck the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene. It was unclear if he is facing any charges in connection with the incident.
Anyone with information on the North York homicide is asked to contact police.
With files from CBC News, Global News and CityNews