Man found dead in Etobicoke business was victim of homicide, co-worker arrested: police

Derrick Cheung is Toronto's 33rd homicide victim of 2025. (Toronto Police Service)

A man who was found dead in an Etobicoke business earlier this week was a victim of a homicide, Toronto police say.

Officers went to the business located in the Vulcan and Iron streets area, west of Martin Grove Road, on Monday night and found a person deceased.

Police said an autopsy was conducted and, on Wednesday, the victim’s death was deemed a homicide. The cause of death has not been revealed.

He has been identified as 35-year-old Derrick Cheung of Brampton. He is the city’s 33rd homicide victim of the year.

Police said 36-year-old Lennard Emptage from Georgetown was initially arrested on Tuesday and charged with indecent interference with a dead body.

On Wednesday, police laid an additional charge of second-degree murder against Emptage.

Const. Laurie McCann confirmed to CP24 that the suspect and victim were known to each other.

“They were co-workers,” she said in an e-mail.

Investigators have not said a motive behind the killing.

“As the investigation is still active and ongoing, I have no further information to share at this time,” McCann said.