Five boys hailing from across the GTA and a Mississauga man are in custody in relation to a brazen daytime attack in a park near Little Italy last month where a boy was pistol-whipped and stabbed.

Investigators say that on July 29 at about 2:45 p.m., three 17-year-old boys were walking in George Ben Park, near Ossington Avenue and Roxton, having just bought some clothes at a nearby store.

Three male suspects pulled up to the park in a wheelchair-accessible Dodge Caravan, which was at one point believed to be stolen.

The three suspects approached the boys and demanded that they hand over the clothes they just purchased.

When the boys refused to hand over the goods, police say the suspects attacked them.

One of the boys was pistol-whipped and stabbed, while the other two boys were not injured.

Police said the assailants eventually returned to the van empty-handed.

The van was last seen fleeing northbound on Ossington Avenue.

The boy who was stabbed was taken to a hospital trauma centre in serious condition.

In the past week, police have arrested five teenage boys and one 18-year-old man in relation to the incident.

The boys, who cannot be identified per the terms of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, each face charges including three counts of robbery with an offensive weapon.

Together they hail from Toronto, Mississauga and Oshawa.

The adult suspect, identified as Omari Clarke of Mississauga, was charged with three counts of robbery with an offensive weapon, aggravated assault and two counts of failure to comply with a disposition.

He appeared in court at Old City Hall on Tuesday morning.