14-year-old charged in deadly stabbing of Toronto senior makes court appearance

A 14-year-old remains in custody after allegedly stabbing a senior in Toronto, who police say was loading groceries into her car.

A Toronto teen charged with second-degree murder in the deadly stabbing of a 71-year-old woman last week appeared in court Monday.

The 14-year-old defendant, who was briefly identified by police by way of a judicial authorization prior to his arrest on Sunday, was dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit as he was spoken to via video link at a Toronto courtroom.

Toronto police were called to a commercial plaza near Parkway Forest Drive and Sheppard Avenue East, just west of Highway 404, for a report of a stabbing on the morning of Thursday, July 17.

There, officers located a 71-year-old woman who had been stabbed. She was transported to hospital where she was pronounced dead. The suspect fled the scene prior to the arrival of police.

Police have identified the victim as Shahnaz Pestonji. They said she was loading groceries into her car before she was stabbed.

Initially, police described the attack as “unprovoked,” but as the investigation unfolded, they said they now believe the stabbing was precipitated by an attempted robbery.

“Through reviewing the video surveillance, speaking with witnesses, and observing the person’s movements prior to the attack, we believe that the person intended to rob Mrs. Pestonji,” Det. Matthew Pinfold said Friday, as police identified and released an image of the suspect.

The court order to identify the suspect has expired, meaning their identity cannot be released under the terms of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The case has been adjourned until July 28.

With files from Beth Macdonell