Man deemed 'dangerous offender' released from prison to live in Toronto

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A rare public warning has been issued regarding a 43-year-old man who was released from prison earlier this month and who Toronto Police say poses a risk to the community – including children.

Simon Gares, who was convicted of assault causing bodily harm in 2019 and deemed to be a “dangerous offender,” was freed March 14 on a statutory release to live in a community-based residential facility in the city.

“The Toronto Police Service is notifying the public about this offender because of his demonstrated risk to the community, including children,” police said in a statement Tuesday night.

The statement goes on to explain that “under Regulation 412/23 of the Community Safety and Policing Act, a chief of police or his designate may disclose personal information about an individual if he reasonably believes the individual poses a significant risk of harm to other persons or property and believes that such disclosure would reduce that risk.”

Gares has a lengthy criminal record dating back decades and many of his convictions have been for violent crimes.

Court documents show Gares attacked a five-year-old boy “for no apparent reason” as the child walked out of a bakery near Bloor St. W. and Runnymede Rd. with his mom and brother, 8, on Aug. 5, 2016.

“The accused approached the victim and punched him in the face,” court documents state. “The victim fell to the sidewalk. The accused then violently kicked the victim in the head as he lay on the ground.”

The boy was briefly knocked unconscious and suffered a concussion and bruising.

Gares ran off and was arrested soon after by Toronto cops.

The victim’s mother later testified that she was bicycling home with her two sons after summer camp when the three stopped at the bakery. She noticed a man sitting on the sidewalk who seemed “troubled” or “mentally agitated.”

“As the family exited the bakery, she heard a swear word, turned and saw the man punch the left side of her son’s face near his jaw,” the court documents state, adding the mother described the punch as “full force” and made with “all his might, like you would punch another man in a fight.”

“She heard a crack, and then saw the man kick her son.”

She started yelling and Gares took off.

The mother testified she saw her son “lying limp and unconscious.”

“At first she did not know whether her son was still alive. Soon after she picked him up he began to groan. She estimated that he was fully unconscious for 15 seconds after being hit,” court documents state.

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The boy spent the day in hospital and suffered a lot of pain and headaches, as well as difficulty sleeping and focusing, in the aftermath of the unprovoked attack.

“Both her children had nightmares for months after the event,” court documents state.

While Gares was found guilty of assault causing bodily harm, the court documents don’t show the length of his sentence.

However, police said Gares had previously been released only to be locked up again last year for breaching his long-term supervision order.

Under his current release conditions, he is once again subject to a long-term supervision order and a lifetime weapons prohibition order.

The conditions of Gares’ statutory release also prohibit him from entering drinking establishments, consuming alcohol or drugs, and require him to follow a treatment plan arranged by his parole supervisor.

Anyone with information regarding Gares can call the Sex Crimes Unit at 416-808-7474 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

cdoucette@postmedia.com

@sundoucette