‘HE WAS JUST SO ANGRY’: Victim speaks of random attack

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In the end, a Toronto woman is lucky to have been wearing her bike helmet.

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The 34-year-old early childhood educator was the second of three victims on Canada Day who were randomly attacked in a 10-minute period in the middle of the day by a male suspect that Toronto Police said on Friday that they are still looking for.

It was around noon, and she was on her way to work and locking up her bicycle near Carlaw and Colgate Aves. when she says the suspect came from behind.

“I felt a really hard hit against the back of my head, which I had (covered by) my helmet thankfully,” said the woman, who only wanted to be identified by her initials, MG.

“I had two hard hits and then I started turning, like, ‘Who is attacking me?’ That’s when I came face to face with him and he started to hit the side of my face. I’m pretty sure it was two or three times. I didn’t even scream, like I was caught off guard completely. Like it almost seemed personal when he was hitting me. He was just so angry.”

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MG, who suffered two lumps to the back of the head, swelling on her jaw, some whiplash on her neck and a mild concussion, says a woman nearby started screaming and the suspect started chasing her but she got away so he then attacked another woman walking her dog.

“She managed to avoid getting hit in the face, he hit her on the shoulder,” said MG, who took a week off work following the attack.

Two couples nearby eventually came to help the two injured women and the suspect ran off.

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“Living in the city I would say it’s very unsafe,” said MG, who would love if there were more surveillance cameras on city streets.

“I lived in Toronto housing for 10 year years and I managed to leave and move into a great neighbourhood. I lived in Leslieville for three years, and now I’m in the Beaches. And ever since I left I felt more unsafe.”

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Sadly, MG, who is also a domestic violence survivor, says her daughter — about to turn 16 — was also the victim of a sexual assault while operating a lemonade stand at Queen St. E. and Logan Ave. during the pandemic when she was 12.

“(A man) was initially trying to lure her and her friend to his basement and saying there was pizza and a party and other kids,” said MG. “They were telling him to leave and that’s when he forced himself on them. He unfortunately managed to kiss my daughter on the lips.”

MG says they caught the man by cornering him on a streetcar until police arrived.

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Otherwise, she’s hoping the male suspect in her case will be caught.

“I will be more vigilant but I feel like it’s out of our hands,” said MG. “It’s just so random.”

Cops say the suspect is a 6-foot male, 20-40 years old, with a slim build wearing a red basketball hat, a striped button-down shirt with a black shirt underneath, black shorts, running shoes, and a black backpack.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-5500, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or online at 222tips.com.

“I don’t think we should be living in fear,” added MG. “Like if we do and don’t go out, they win.”

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