Three people in custody in fatal stabbing in Scarborough

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A man is dead and three people were taken into police custody following a stabbing at a Scarborough apartment Thursday morning.

Toronto Police Duty Insp. Todd Jocko, speaking on the front lawn of the West Hill high-rise, located at 4175 Lawrence Ave. E., east of Kingston Rd., said the trio were arrested sometime after the initial call to police at 6:10 a.m.

“A man and two women have been arrested in relation to this incident,” said Jocko. “We believe all the parties are known to each other. So there is no risk to public safety.”

On the 10th floor outside unit 1007, officers stood on guard in the hallway as forensic officers arrived and entered the apartment to gather evidence.

“Upon arriving, police located an adult male with stab wounds,” said Jocko. “Life-saving efforts were done. Unfortunately, the male succumbed to his injuries and he was pronounced deceased at the scene.”

Jocko said the man’s death is the city’s 75th homicide of the year.

Police have yet to release the identity or age of the victim.

Jocko was asked whether the people that occupied the unit had moved in recently and whether there had been incidents in the past.

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“I don’t have any information in relation to that,” he responded.

Jocko was also unaware of any motive that may have led up to the stabbing.

When asked about the charges the suspects taken into custody are facing, Jocko said it was too early in the investigation to comment and would leave that up to the investigating homicide officers to determine.

Carl Henry, a Juno nominated musician who lives on the 10th floor of the building, said he was “saddened” and “really sorry somebody got hurt” after hearing about the fatal stabbing just down the hall from his apartment.

He added that the building’s occupants have recently changed over the past few years — for the worse.

“It is very disappointing,” he said. “It is a pity that these things are happening.

“It was originally a senior citizens building and all of a sudden there are a lot of unscrupulous people here. You understand. A lot of people that shouldn’t be here.

“Then all of sudden I don’t know what is going on.”

Fellow resident Sam Persaud, who has lived in the building for the past 18 years, echoed Henry’s sentiments.

“There is a lot of crime going on in this building now,” he said while standing out on the sidewalk, visibly shaking while speaking.

Vincent, who didn’t want his last name used, said he was not happy with the morning events and found it tough to explain to his kids what was happening with all the police at the building.

“The first thing I did was to walk my kids to daycare, get them out of this scene,“ said Vincent, sitting outside in the sunshine.

“My daughter came down (from their unit) and said, ‘Daddy what is going on?’ She was crying,” he added.

Vincent went on to say he wouldn’t tell her and doesn’t want his children “growing up in this environment.”