EIGHT teenage girls have been accused of stabbing a homeless man to death after swarming on him outside a train station.
The teenagers, aged between 13 and 16 years old, who met on social media have been charged with second-degree murder following the death of the 59-year-old in Toronto.
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Police believe the girls assaulted and stabbed the man in the area of York Street and University Avenue early Sunday morning in a bid to steal a bottle of alcohol.
The man, known as “Kenney” was taken to a hospital, where he died, CTV News Toronto reported.
The eight girls were arrested near where the attack happened.
Three of them are 13 years old, three are 14 and two are 16.
Police described the man as having a supportive family but he recently moved into the city’s homeless shelter system after falling on “some hard luck”.
A resident of the building, Ken Webber, confirmed the man was sitting in a plaza with his friend at the time of the attack.
He told the outlet: “They were sitting on a bench, sipping booze out of a mickey and having a cigarette.
“I saw the aftermath of the attack. I saw six females probably in their late 20s, early 30s, standing outside the Union Station stairwell there, arguing, screaming and yelling.”
Another witness, Roberto Sanchez described Kenney as a “friendly and generous” person.
He said:“ He was a kind-hearted person. Everyone has their issues. But all in all, I didn’t see him as a threat to no one.
“For those youths to do that to him — it’s heart-wrenching. I can’t believe it,”
Detective Sgt. Terry Browne of the Toronto Police Service Homicide Squad said: “I’ve been in policing for almost 35 years and you think you’ve seen it all.
“Anyone who isn’t shocked with hearing something like this has clearly just thrown in the towel and just said that anything is possible in this world.
“Eight young girls and most under the age of 16. If this isn’t alarming and shocking to everyone, then we’re all in trouble quite frankly.”
He added anyone who witnessed the incident that night to contact the police.
The teens have made their first court appearance and remain in custody. The next court appearance is December 29.
Aliki Kraterou
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