4 teens charged in Guildwood Plaza fight
Posted October 30, 2017 5:07 pm.
Last Updated October 30, 2017 11:41 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Four young people have been arrested and charged after a teen was taken to hospital following a fight between at least 40 teenagers at Guildwood Plaza in Scarborough on Oct. 24.
Police responded to a call at the plaza shortly before 1 p.m. where a security guard was reportedly trying to break up the massive melee.
On Monday, Const. Allyson Douglas-Cook told CityNews the incident began as a verbal altercation and quickly escalated into a physical one between the victim and four other teenage boys.
“Reports were that the victim was allegedly punched by these individuals and he suffered … a broken bone or two,” she said.
She added that the victim suffered “significant injuries” that were serious enough to lay charges of aggravated assault against each of the four teens arrested.
News of the arrests comes nearly a week after the incident.
Douglas-Cook said the well-being of the victim was a priority at the time and no arrests were made on the scene. An investigation followed and witness accounts, as well as video from the scene, helped identify the suspects.
“The video clearly captured the images of the persons responsible,” she said. “That along with other evidence (helped us) to figure out who the involved parties were and they’ve been charged accordingly.”
The victim is a student at a nearby high school. It is not clear if the suspects also attend the same school.
Guildwood plaza is often frequented by high school students and has been the scene of at least two other incidents since the start of the school year in September.
Just days after the start of school, a shop owner says her store front windows came crashing down during a fight. The Toronto District School Board said that incident involved students from Sir Wilfred Laurier Collegiate Institute.
Then, in mid-September, a 23-year old man was seriously injured after a stabbing. The School Board said that incident did not involve students from the school.
In a statement TDSB spokesman Ryan Bird said that overall, the school stays in contact with the mall management company as well as mall security and Toronto Police to address any issues that arise. He added that negative behaviour off school property can result in disciplinary action. He would not comment on Monday’s arrests.
“For privacy reasons and due to the ongoing police investigation, we’re not able to comment on those who have been charged.”
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