Arrests Made In City’s Second Homicide
Posted January 12, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Toronto Police spent Saturday probing the city’s second homicide of the New Year after an early morning shooting in the downtown core. Before the day was out two suspects were in custody in connection with the slaying.
The incident occurred just after 1am Saturday outside the Brass Rail Club at 701 Yonge St., just south of Bloor, where it’s alleged two men were kicked out of the gentlemen’s establishment following an altercation which broke out inside the club.
Both men reportedly began walking away but according to witnesses suddenly turned back and approached a crowd waiting in front of the building. At this point it’s alleged one of them took out a handgun and fired shots into the group.
The male victim, who police say was merely passing by and was not the intended target, was struck. Paramedics said he was found suffering from a single gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities said they spotted two suspects running southbound on Yonge Street and then headed eastbound on Charles Street and later Saturday 22-year-old Edward Paredes and 23-year-old Awet Zekarias, both of Toronto , were picked up by police. They are jointly charged with first-degree murder. The victim hasn’t been named because police have yet to make a positive identification.
The murder happened on the same often-troubled stretch of Yonge Street where 15-year-old Jane Creba was shot and killed on Boxing Day, 2005.
Saturday marked the second homicide of 2008, with the first coming on New Year’s Day when a 14-year-old named Stefanie Rengel was stabbed to death.
If you know anything that can help police call police at (416) 808-7400 or Crime Stoppers at (416) 222-TIPS.
