Video footage appears to show person matching description of teen suspect in deadly Pickering stabbing

Community still reeling in Pickering as video of suspect prior to fatal stabbing released

New video appears to show a male matching the description of the suspect in a deadly Pickering stabbing walking through the neighbourhood moments before an elderly woman was stabbed multiple times outside her nearby home.

The victim, who was described by neighbours as a friendly, retired kindergarten teacher in her 80s, was rushed to a Toronto-area trauma centre where she died of her injuries a short time later.

A 14-year-old boy was arrested a few hours later following a city-wide manhunt and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the brazen incident.

Durham police have said that the fatal stabbing appears to have been an unprovoked “random attack” and that there is nothing at this point to suggest that the victim knew her attacker.

Investigators are still working to determine a motive for this incident and won’t say if a weapon was recovered.

In the footage captured by a nearby surveillance camera, an individual, whose face has been obscured, is observed passing by a house a few blocks up from the murder scene on Lynn Heights Drive about 10 minutes before the incident, which occurred just after 3 p.m.

He is seen wearing black gloves, a long, dark, trench coat, and carrying what appears to be a soft-structured briefcase.

At 3:02 p.m., the same individual re-appears on camera returning from where he came from. He’s seen stopping and fiddling around with his briefcase, before continuing past the house again.

CTV News Toronto has spoken to the person whose cameras captured the video. He declined to speak on camera, but confirmed the videos were taken yesterday at around the time of the incident.

Another viewer video, also obtained by CTV News Toronto, shows Durham police a few hours later in the backyard of a home that is about an hour away from the crime scene on foot.

“We saw the helicopters and all police, some action from last night,” he said.

The man’s home backs onto the house in question. He described a 14-year-old boy who lived there.

“He was always wearing dark clothing, nothing really out of the ordinary,” he said, calling the murder “shocking.”

Earlier on Friday, one neighbour told CP24 that she also spotted a strange person walking in the area who was wearing black gloves and a trench coat.

“He stood out,” Shedia Serrao-Fredericks said.

“It is not normal at 2:30 or whatever time it was in the afternoon to be dressed like that.”

Prior to the arrest, police said the suspect was seen wearing a surgical mask, a long, black jacket and was carrying a black bag.

Several neighbours said they saw police in the area last night, but did not go outside to see what was going on as they were told to shelter in place.

Today, people in the community are reeling from what has happened, saying that the accused has lived nearby for a number of years.

One woman said she saw the teen just a few days before the murder coming out of his house.

“I think he was wearing a tuxedo and I just saw him walking down this street. … I thought he was going to a job interview or something, but he looked a bit too young,” she said.

Meanwhile, rumours are swirling at a nearby school that the accused may have been a student there.

“I’ve heard that this kid was from this school,” one parent told CTV News Toronto.

“I was expecting the school to provide me with some information.”

Accused due back in court on June 20

CTV News Toronto was in court this morning when the teen appeared via video.

Few details can be released about the case due to a publication ban, except to say that the accused was wearing a dark sweater and that his right hand appeared to be bandaged in white gauze.

When spoken to, he replied in a soft voice and looked downcast.

There were no family members present in the court room.

The accused is scheduled to be back in court on June. 20.

This investigation is ongoing and anyone with further information, include video from the area, is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

With files from CTV News Toronto’s Janice Golding