Group of teen girls allegedly stab homeless man to death 'to steal his bottle of alcohol'
22.12.2022 - 15:47
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
A group of teenagers allegedly stabbed a homeless man to death to steal his bottle of booze. Eight girls have been charged with the murder of a 59-year-old man in Toronto, Canada, reports the Mirror.
It is alleged that the girls attacked and stabbed the homeless gentleman in a square near a train station on December 18. Emergency crews responded at approximately 12.17am on Sunday morning to the alleged assault in the area of York Street and University Avenue in Toronto.
Buzz.ie reports that the unidentified man was taken to a hospital, where he died a short time later. He had been living in a shelter for the homeless at the time of the attack.
According to Toronto Police, eight girls were arrested near where the alleged attack happened. Det Sgt Terry Browne of Toronto police says three of the girls are 13, three are 14 and two are 16.
He claims the girls took part in a "swarming." Browne explained: "We can't say with certainty, but our belief is that [the girls] were trying to remove a liquor bottle that he was in possession of." The group of teens then allegedly assaulted and stabbed the man, leaving him with life-threatening injuries.
During their arrest, a number of weapons were seized, which Browne described as "sharp-edged". The group of girls have all been charged with second-degree murder following the incident. They appeared in court on Sunday, where they were remanded into custody, and are due again in court on December 29.
Police believe the girls met on social media and none of their identities can be released under Canada's Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA). Det Sgt Browne says he was stunned by the alleged incident and believes all the party are "equally culpable".
He said: "I've been in policing for almost 35