A 59yearold homeless man was stabbed to death by eight teenagers, ages 13 to 16, on a street in Toronto, Canada. They tried to steal a bottle of liquor from the man and his girlfriend. According to Canadian television channel CBC, he was identified as Ken Lee this Tuesday (10), but the crime happened on December 18.
According to Toronto Police, Lee was pronounced dead at the hospital after allegedly being beaten and stabbed to death by a group of girls outside an animal shelter. The man had moved to the site in recent months.
According to the Toronto Sun website, family and friends reported that he died trying to protect his girlfriend Erica. She informed the press that the teenagers were after her bottle of alcohol and other belongings and Ken tried to stop them but it cost his life. He was stabbed multiple times.
Erica had a complicated relationship with Ken, but they were always seen together. Even when Ken wasn’t living at the shelter, she was in a park next to him. “He was here because of her,” said a woman standing next to the two. “He always took care of her.”
Police said they are working to locate Lee’s next of kin to report his death. Police said they believe the teens got together after dating on social media and that they live in and around the greater Toronto area. All of the teenagers were charged with seconddegree murder and arrested. One responds after paying bail at liberty, the others are still awaiting the preliminary verdict.
After the murder, Ken Lee’s name was added to the Toronto Homeless Memorial to honor the homeless killed in the city.