Police release identity of victim in subway death
Posted June 19, 2018 10:16 am.
Last Updated June 20, 2018 10:45 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Toronto police have released the identity of the victim who was allegedly pushed in front of a moving subway train on Monday morning.
He has been identified as Yosuke Hayahara, 73, of Toronto.
Earlier Tuesday police said they believe the incident, which resulted in Hayahara’s death, was unprovoked.
According to police, Hayahara and the suspect, John Reszetnik, 57, were waiting for an eastbound train at Yonge Station around 10:15 a.m. when Reszetnik allegedly pushed Hayahara in front of a train.
Reszetnik left the scene but was arrested on the street after someone pointed him out to officers.
Reszetnik, a Toronto resident, has been charged with first-degree murder. He was expressionless and wearing a white jumpsuit when he appeared in a College Park courtroom on Tuesday morning. He remains in custody and will appear in court again on July 17.
There is no apparent motive for the incident, North said outside a Toronto court after a hearing where Reszetnik’s case was put over to next month.
“The incident took place in a very quick fashion and ended very quickly,” he told reporters.
Officers have spoken to four or five witnesses but believe there were about 25 more on the station platform at the time, seven or eight of whom would have directly witnessed Hayahara’s fall, North added.
“I understand it’s a very traumatic incident they may have witnessed, however we would like them to come forward so we can interview them and sort of get a narrative from them about what transpired,” he said.
With files from The Canadian Press
