The 2025 Toronto Homicide Victim List is available here

Toronto police said a woman in her 70s was fatally stabbed in an unprovoked assault outside a shopping plaza in North York.

Police were called to the area of Parkway Forest Drive and Sheppard Avenue East on July 17th at approximately 9:30 am where they located the victim, 71-year-old Shahnaz Pestonji, who was attacked while walking to her vehicle after grocery shopping. She was rushed to hospital where she died of her injuries.

“There appears to be no interaction or incident leading up to the assault. She was simply heading to her car with groceries,” Duty Inspector Phil Sinclair said at the scene.

The suspect fled the area and remains at large, though authorities say there is no current risk to public safety. The suspect is described as a male, Black, approximately 5’7″ to 5’10”, wearing all dark clothing and a balaclava.

Update: On Sunday, July 20, 2025, the 14-year-old suspect was arrested in Toronto, following a coordinated effort by multiple units across the Toronto Police Service.

The judicial authorization that permitted the identification of the Young Person has expired. The name of the Young Person and their photograph can no longer be published/broadcast.