Four 13-year-old boys arrested, charged in assault of TTC employees on Scarborough bus

By Lucas Casaletto

Toronto police have arrested and charged four 13-year-old boys with assault after two uniformed TTC employees were swarmed and injured aboard a bus in Scarborough on Monday.

Authorities received reports of an assault just after 3:30 p.m. on Monday in the Kennedy Road and Merrian Road area. Officers said a group of young boys “attacked” the two employees on the TTC bus near Kennedy Station and fled the scene.

Police confirmed the two employees suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Through extensive investigation and review of TTC video surveillance, officers arrested four boys concerning the swarming.

Two 13-year-old boys were charged with one count of assault, and two other 13-year-old boys faced two counts of assault. The four youths will appear in a Toronto court on Mar. 21.

The boys were not identified due to the province’s Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA).


RELATED: Were you swarmed by a group of teen girls on the TTC? Toronto police would like to speak with you


TTC spokesperson Stuart Green told CityNews the TTC workers were punched and kicked and had cuts and scrapes, but they did not require hospitalization.

A third operator on board, who was driving the bus, was emotionally distraught and had to end her shift.

“We absolutely get the concerns people would have,” Green said.

“When we see incidents like these, we’re concerned.”



Mayor John Tory also commented on the alleged attack, acknowledging the city has to “put an end to these acts of violence and disrespect against transit workers.”

The swarming incident comes amidst another violent attack involving the TTC that saw a woman stabbed multiple times aboard a streetcar in downtown Toronto. Police said she was stabbed in the face and suffered serious injuries. A woman was later arrested and taken into custody.

Last weekend, a TTC bus driver was shot with a BB gun while waiting to take over a bus on Saturday evening, with the suspects described as possible teenagers.

“Transit workers should not feel at risk just simply coming to work and waiting for their vehicle, or riding to their vehicle, or simply just wearing a uniform in public,” ATU Local 113 president Marvin Alfred told The Canadian Press in an interview.


RELATED: Homeless community expresses safety concerns after man allegedly killed by teens identified


Earlier in the month, police said they were trying to locate and speak with people swarmed and assaulted by a group of girls at several subway stations on Dec. 17, 2022. A group of eight to 10 teenage girls “randomly assaulted” several people between 10 p.m. and 12 a.m. along the TTC’s Line 1.

Those attacks happened at Queen’s Park, St. Patrick, Osgoode, St. Andrew and Union Stations.

Last week, the family of a man experiencing homelessness when he was allegedly swarmed and killed by a group of eight teenage girls issued a statement strongly criticizing the youth criminal justice system.

Toronto police said 59-year-old Ken Lee was swarmed and stabbed just after midnight on Dec. 18 in the area of York Street, University Avenue and Front Street West. He was rushed to the hospital, where he later died.

Eight teenage girls — three 13-year-olds, three 14-year-olds, and two 16-year-olds — were charged with second-degree murder in Lee’s death. Police said the teen girls met on social media and congregated in downtown Toronto.

The girls cannot be identified under the YCJA provisions because they are all under 18.


With files from Michael Talbot of CityNews

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