A man has been charged with second-degree murder after three people were found slain yesterday in an Etobicoke townhouse.
The victims, whose names have not been released, are a man and two women who range in age from 49 to 75, police said in a statement released Tuesday.
The suspect, whose name was not immediately released, is described by police as a 22-year-old man. He was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday morning.
He was arrested last night near the quiet townhouse complex at 65 Old Burnhamthorpe Rd. where the victims were found.
Police did not immediately release the causes of death, saying only that the victims showed “obvious signs of injury” and were pronounced dead at the scene.
Neighbours leaving for work Tuesday morning passed police tape that remained strung around their quiet complex, where backyards have open fences and tidy gardens.
“We’re just shaken up,” said one woman, who gave her name as Melissa. She said in 10 years living here she’s never seen so much commotion. The family of four who lived at the home was also pleasant, she said, greeting her in passing.
Priscilla Grocott, vice-president of the condo’s board of directors, said a couple she identified as Yusif and Tatiana moved into the unit with two children at least five years ago.
Property records show the residence was purchased by Yusif Khalilov and Tatiana Khalilova in 2007.
Standing in her garage, Grocott said she saw Yusif come home to their tree-lined street last night after 6 p.m.
“They’re very nice people. I know that for sure,” she said Tuesday morning. “If we went by, it was, ‘Hi.’”
On Monday night, Insp. Tim Crone told reporters at the scene that a family member made the gruesome discovery after returning home at around 7 p.m. and immediately called 911.
Police found a man brandishing a knife and hiding in a nearby ravine.
“There was a brief standoff with the suspect. He was armed,” Crone said. “Officers did a very good job in calming the situation, calming the individual and got him to come into custody without incident.”
Irma Pregelj was in a friend’s backyard on Saturn Rd., about a block away from the townhouse complex, when she witnessed the arrest in a nearby park. She said about 20 officers apprehended the suspect, who she described as a white, dark-haired man in his 20s.
“He was hiding behind some low bushes and had a knife in his hand,” she said. “He was making a stabbing motion. He obviously was not in his right mind.”
Pregelj said police were attempting to talk the man down when a plainclothes officer tackled him from behind.
“They all went in and took him down and cuffed him,” she said. “It was so bizarre. I just live down the road. We’re all freaking out about it.”
The townhouse was cordoned off by police tape Monday night. Neighbours crowded around it in disbelief.
“This is a pretty quiet area,” said Tony Solazzo, 57. “It’s suddenly not so quiet. Not tonight. This is crazy.”
Michael Czerwinski, who lives a couple doors down from the crime scene, said he plays tennis with a young woman who lived in the house with her parents, whom he described as Russian. He said the young woman attended York University and also has a brother who didn’t live in the home.
Brittany Smith, who lives near the complex, said she would sometimes see the family in the neighbourhood.
“They were very quiet,” she said.
Neighbours said the man taken into custody was a familiar figure in the area.
Anna Tarr, who lives nearby, said one neighbour showed her a photo of the man who was arrested and she said she had seen him helping out when the area was dealing with flooding last week.
“We’ve seen him before. It’s a face that’s familiar in the neighbourhood,” she said.
Rohini Sibas, 48, said she saw police take a dog out of the unit where the slayings occurred.
“It’s very sad,” she said. “This neighbourhood is good. It’s an expensive area. If something happens, police come right away.”
Daniella Silva, 16, said she would bike by the townhouse often.
“I never noticed anything suspicious about it,” she said. “People are generally good here. I don’t know what happened.”
With files from Alex Nino Gheciu, Mariana Ionova and Sahar Fatima
https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/...bicoke_townhouse_man_charged_with_murder.html
The victims, whose names have not been released, are a man and two women who range in age from 49 to 75, police said in a statement released Tuesday.
The suspect, whose name was not immediately released, is described by police as a 22-year-old man. He was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday morning.
He was arrested last night near the quiet townhouse complex at 65 Old Burnhamthorpe Rd. where the victims were found.
Police did not immediately release the causes of death, saying only that the victims showed “obvious signs of injury” and were pronounced dead at the scene.
Neighbours leaving for work Tuesday morning passed police tape that remained strung around their quiet complex, where backyards have open fences and tidy gardens.
“We’re just shaken up,” said one woman, who gave her name as Melissa. She said in 10 years living here she’s never seen so much commotion. The family of four who lived at the home was also pleasant, she said, greeting her in passing.
Priscilla Grocott, vice-president of the condo’s board of directors, said a couple she identified as Yusif and Tatiana moved into the unit with two children at least five years ago.
Property records show the residence was purchased by Yusif Khalilov and Tatiana Khalilova in 2007.
Standing in her garage, Grocott said she saw Yusif come home to their tree-lined street last night after 6 p.m.
“They’re very nice people. I know that for sure,” she said Tuesday morning. “If we went by, it was, ‘Hi.’”
On Monday night, Insp. Tim Crone told reporters at the scene that a family member made the gruesome discovery after returning home at around 7 p.m. and immediately called 911.
Police found a man brandishing a knife and hiding in a nearby ravine.
“There was a brief standoff with the suspect. He was armed,” Crone said. “Officers did a very good job in calming the situation, calming the individual and got him to come into custody without incident.”
Irma Pregelj was in a friend’s backyard on Saturn Rd., about a block away from the townhouse complex, when she witnessed the arrest in a nearby park. She said about 20 officers apprehended the suspect, who she described as a white, dark-haired man in his 20s.
“He was hiding behind some low bushes and had a knife in his hand,” she said. “He was making a stabbing motion. He obviously was not in his right mind.”
Pregelj said police were attempting to talk the man down when a plainclothes officer tackled him from behind.
“They all went in and took him down and cuffed him,” she said. “It was so bizarre. I just live down the road. We’re all freaking out about it.”
The townhouse was cordoned off by police tape Monday night. Neighbours crowded around it in disbelief.
“This is a pretty quiet area,” said Tony Solazzo, 57. “It’s suddenly not so quiet. Not tonight. This is crazy.”
Michael Czerwinski, who lives a couple doors down from the crime scene, said he plays tennis with a young woman who lived in the house with her parents, whom he described as Russian. He said the young woman attended York University and also has a brother who didn’t live in the home.
Brittany Smith, who lives near the complex, said she would sometimes see the family in the neighbourhood.
“They were very quiet,” she said.
Neighbours said the man taken into custody was a familiar figure in the area.
Anna Tarr, who lives nearby, said one neighbour showed her a photo of the man who was arrested and she said she had seen him helping out when the area was dealing with flooding last week.
“We’ve seen him before. It’s a face that’s familiar in the neighbourhood,” she said.
Rohini Sibas, 48, said she saw police take a dog out of the unit where the slayings occurred.
“It’s very sad,” she said. “This neighbourhood is good. It’s an expensive area. If something happens, police come right away.”
Daniella Silva, 16, said she would bike by the townhouse often.
“I never noticed anything suspicious about it,” she said. “People are generally good here. I don’t know what happened.”
With files from Alex Nino Gheciu, Mariana Ionova and Sahar Fatima
https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/...bicoke_townhouse_man_charged_with_murder.html
