Police arrest 12-year-old in connection with homicide in downtown Toronto

Toronto Police announced Monday that they have made two arrests in connection with Toronto’s 29th homicide of the year. The arrests were also made in connection with a series of violent robberies.

“What is very concerning is the age of one of the accused, a 12-year-old male,” said Toronto police Deputy Chief Robert Johnson in making the announcement. He noted that eight of 31 recent homicides have youth facing homicide charges.

“This is really a call to action with all our community partners to make sure that we find a way to intervene when young people are involved with these types of horrendous crimes,” he said.

Isaiah Byers, 20, of Toronto, and a male youth who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, have each been charged with one count of second-degree murder, three counts of robbery, two counts of assault with a weapon, and one count of aggravated assault.

The two are scheduled to make separate court appearances on Sept. 8 and Sept. 12, respectively, in Toronto.

Police allege that on the morning of Aug. 31 at about 6:08 a.m., the 62-year-old victim was near Queen Street West and Bay Street when the suspects approached him and violently attacked him with a weapon.

The victim went to hospital with serious injuries and was released, but four days later was located outside without vital signs, and succumbed to his injuries at the scene.

Police allege that four other assaults took place on the same morning, between 5:45 and 8:07 a.m., all near Bay Street and between Queen Street West and College Street, and each involving the two suspects.

The victims were all male, two identified as 63 and 70, the other two of no given age. One sustained unknown injuries, while another was taken to hospital with serious injuries, and the other two suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

“The was a disturbing crime spree,” Toronto police Detective Sergeant Stacey McCabe said in a press conference announcing the arrests. “All of these attacks were extremely violent and they targeted vulnerable members of our city.”

McCabe noted that one of the two suspects was armed with a hammer. All but one of the victims were described by police as under-housed males.

Police made the arrests shortly after the final assault, though they suspect other people may have been approached by the two suspects without being assaulted. They are asking anyone who was in the area between Aug. 31 and Sept. 4, and who may have information, security or dash-camera footage of the area or incident to contact police at 416-808-7400, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or www.222tips.com.

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