Spiderman became Toronto's very own crime fighter last night after he was caught on camera restraining a woman accused of shoplifting.
The man behind the mask -- Mark Zilio, also known as Peter Parkour -- has been working as a busker and street performer for the last four years, he told CTV News Toronto.
On Monday night, which was Halloween, Zilio said he needed a costume for a side job. He headed to a costume store on Yonge Street on its busiest day of the year.
“Oddly enough, on Halloween, when there's the most Spidermen around, not just me, is the day when I end up stopping a crime,” he said.
A cellphone video obtained by CTV News Toronto, showed Zilio, in full costume, taking down the female suspect.
“She was very squirmy, squiggled her way out,” Zilio said. “I was working on the sidewalk. I never want to become involved in these kinds of things. I'm not trained to handle someone while they're hostile or needing to be held down, but I do know how to work around people with my open hands.”
Store staff said the alleged shoplifter did make a purchase, but they suspect the woman grabbed an item on her way out. She managed to get away from security and that’s when Zilio stepped in.
The store’s manager Sanjoy Kundu said he was impressed -- and entertained.
“It's Spiderman, come on. It's a great thing, Peter Parkour helping out a security guard at that moment it was great,” Kandu said.
However, this will likely be Toronto Spiderman’s last crime-fighting experience.
“With great power comes great responsibility. It is my responsibility to encourage the fact of, yes there are licensed street performers often in super hero costumes, but no we do not often intervene and fight crime,” Zilio said.
With files from Scott Lightfoot
