Six suspects are in custody and two remain at large. The accused face, as a group, a total of 30 charges, including kidnapping, aggravated assault, robbery with an offensive weapon, extortion and theft of a credit card.Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press
The victim of a violent kidnapping in Toronto last month was a man allegedly lured by eight suspects into an east-end establishment where he was held captive for hours, assaulted and robbed before being dropped off in a remote area.
Toronto Police Service said in a statement Monday that the incident took place in an establishment licensed to sell alcohol and occurred during late evening hours. Six suspects are in custody and two remain at large. The accused range in age between 21 and 29 years old, and face, as a group, a total of 30 charges, including kidnapping, aggravated assault, robbery with an offensive weapon, extortion and theft of a credit card.
On July 18, police responded to reports of a kidnapping in the area of Midland Avenue and Sheppard Avenue East. The quiet intersection near the Agincourt South neighbourhood bypasses a century-old church, a Tim Hortons and an East Asian strip mall.
Police found the victim with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, and he was taken to hospital. It’s alleged that, while the victim was held captive, suspects stole banking as well as credit card information and obtained cash from his bank account before leaving him in a remote area.
Last Friday, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) announced that they have suspended the liquor sales license of WAVE KTV, a karaoke bar in Scarborough, in connection with last month’s incident.
In a press release, the AGCO said the registrar considered it in the public interest to “immediately suspend the liquor license of this establishment” while the police investigation was continuing.
WAVE KTV did not respond to requests for comment. The AGCO declined to provide additional details about the reasons behind the suspension or its connection to last month’s events.
Police are asking the public’s help in identifying the two remaining suspects. One is described as wearing a camouflage baseball hat, black jacket, black and white Nike shoes and grey pants. Another was wearing a black sweater, black pants with white writing on the right leg, black and white shoes and a black balaclava.
Robberies with a weapon in Toronto have seen a steady rise in recent years. Police data show there were 988 such robberies in 2023, a 70-per-cent increase from the year before. There has been a 5-per-cent increase in robberies year-to-date.