No arrests one year after beating that left teen in coma
Posted July 31, 2015 12:35 pm.
Last Updated July 31, 2015 1:24 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Police are once again appealing to the public to help identify six suspects who they say beat a teen boy into a coma in downtown Toronto last August long weekend.
The 17-year-old got out of a taxicab on York Street, south of Queen Street, at 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 3, 2014, when he was approached by six men who violently assaulted him.
The men ran towards University Avenue and three of them jumped into another taxi at University Avenue.
The victim suffered severe head injuries, causing him to go into a coma for one month, Det.-Sgt. Paul Rinkoff said at a news conference on Friday morning at 52 Division.
The suspects are described as five black men and one white man between 18 and 25 years old. Police don’t know if the suspects live in the GTA or are from out of town.
“I am appealing to the public one more time, exactly, one year later, for your assistance to identify these males,” Rinkoff said.
He said the teen has undergone several surgeries that have “saved his life, but his quality of life will never be the same.”
“The victim is continuing to undergo rehabilitation and he is under the constant care of medical staff. Although his condition has improved, he will likely never have the same quality of life that he had before he was assaulted,” Rinkoff explained.
Police are not releasing the teen’s identity and would not provide any other details about the teen’s specific medical condition due to the ongoing investigation.
“The family has requested to be private … and some of the details, I’d rather not divulge, because they may jeopardize the investigation,” he said.
In October, police released security video and still images of the suspects, hoping someone would recognize them.
Watch the security video below, or click here for a mobile-friendly version.
Police said the teen was out with friends before he got into a taxi. It’s not yet known if the victim and suspects knew each other. Investigators have also not not determined a motive for the attack or if it was random.
Police said the public has provided several tips but, so far, no arrests have been made.
“We do have some good results; however, we feel that airing these pictures today, exactly one year later on the same long weekend, hopefully will produce some positive news,” Rinkoff said.
“The family of this youth needs some closure and these individuals must be held accountable.”
