Suspects sought after abducted teen found safe
Police chief offers little detail on kidnappers
TORONTO • A 14- year- old boy abducted from a Toronto street as payback for his stepbrother’s alleged criminal activity has been safely reunited with his family, the city’s police chief said Friday as he appealed for the public’s help in the case.
C hie f Mark Saunders said no arrests had yet been made in the teen’s abduction, which lasted for more than 36 hours and triggered an Amber Alert.
He provided few details of how the teen ultimately was located, but said officers found him in Brampton, well northwest of his home.
Saunders said the teen, who looked “dishevelled” when he was found, was taken to hospital for a checkup before being reunited with his family.
He said that as of Friday morning, police had not yet talked to the teen about his ordeal, as his well-being was of paramount importance.
He emphasized, however, that the teen was safe despite the fact his abductors were still at large.
“He probably will be the most watched young man in the city of Toronto right now,” Saunders said at the Friday morning news conference. “So you’d have to be more than a fool to try to apprehend him or cause any harm to his family.”
The chief offered no particulars on suspects in the case, including descriptions or the number of suspects police are seeking, although earlier reports said the police were seeking “two or three males” who forced the boy into the vehicle.
But he reiterated the allegation that the abduction was carried out as retribution for a massive “cocaine heist” allegedly executed by the teen’s stepbrother.
Investigators have said the stepbrother allegedly stole nearly 100 kilograms of cocaine in the summer of 2019, valuing the heist at close to $4 million.
Saunders said the teen at the centre of the abduction was an innocent party with no connection to any criminal activity.
Prior to the teen being found, Supt. Steven Watts had issued a direct appeal to the kidnappers: “You need to release ( him). This is a 14- year- old, innocent child. He is not a part of that business. He is not a part of that lifestyle.”
The teen was last seen at around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in the area of Jane Street and Driftwood Avenue.
Police initially launched an investigation Wednesday morning based on reports of a teen being dragged into a Jeep Wrangler and crying out for help, but the identity of the victim did not become known until his parents reported him missing shortly after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Saunders said the burntout vehicle was found later that night northwest of the city, near the town of Caledon.
Media reported the boy ultimately was found at a farm property on Heritage Road in Brampton.
The boy’s parents did not report him missing earlier because teachers at his northwest Toronto high school missed an 11 a. m. attendance reporting deadline that would have resulted in the family being notified of his absence earlier.
Toronto District School Board spokesman Ryan Bird said the board is investigating and four staff members at Newtonbrook Secondary School have been put on “home assignment.”
“We’re looking to confirm details right now, but what is clear is that attendance was not entered as it should have been,” Bird said.
Both the school board and the union representing Ontario high school teachers said an ongoing work-to-rule campaign by teachers would not have been a factor in the failure to file an attendance report on time.
The Amber Alert was issued at around midnight, triggering a widespread search involving multiple police forces, including the Ontario Provincial Police and the Peel and York Region forces.
Police previously had said the alleged abductors had been in communication with the force, but Saunders said Friday that was not the case.
He also said the stepbrother, who he said had fled the Toronto area and may have even left the province, had provided “limited co-operation.”
Saunders said public help is needed to identify suspects and urged anyone to come forward with any information they may have.
“This investigation’s not done yet,” he said.
“I want these people that are involved. And I think there’s a great opportunity to reach the goal- line with this particular investigation.”