Police have released surveillance camera images of seven people they believe may have witnessed a deadly beating in the city’s west end last month.
The images were captured in the area of Bloor Street West and Ossington Avenue in the early morning hours of Aug. 30 at around the same time that police responded to an assault call in the area and discovered a beaten man without vital signs.
The victim, who has since been identified as Jorge Interiano, 40, succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
Interiano is believed to have lived in the neighbourhood where the beating occurred.
“It has become evident that there were numerous pedestrians in the area at the time of the event and it is also obvious that some of the attention of these pedestrians was drawn to the area where Mr. Interiano was subsequently located,” Det. Shannon Dawson told reporters on Thursday morning. “These individuals may have witnesses all or a portion of the interaction that the suspects had with Mr. Interiano and perhaps they were unaware of the seriousness of the incident.”
The faces on the images released to the media Thursday have been obscured to protect the identity of the potential witnesses.
Speaking with reporters, Dawson said that it is her hope that the people in question see the pictures and come forward to speak with police voluntarily.
“These are one hundred per cent most definitely witnesses. We believe them to be witnesses and we are looking for them to come forward just in that role to help us fill in the gaps that are missing,” Dawson said. “Each person probably had a different account and made different observations and we just want to find what it was that they did see.”
Dawson added that police have already interviewed a number of witnesses and have determined that two suspects were seen fleeing the area on foot after the attack.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).
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