The disappearance of a 49-year-old man from Cabbagetown a week ago is being treated as “suspicious,” Toronto police say.
Andrew Kinsman was last seen in the area of Parliament and Winchester Streets on June 26, according to investigators.
Ted Healey, a friend of 20 years, told CTV News Toronto a resident at the Winchester Street building where Kinsman is the superintendent was the last one to see him while he was dropping off a key to her around 1 p.m. last Monday.
His friends haven't heard from him since.
Toronto police are "concerned for his safety." They escalated Kinsman's missing persons case on Monday, saying his disappearance is now "being treated as suspicious."
"We're happy and not happy about it," Healey said. "At least we know that the case is moving along and at the same time we wish that this would come to an end."
'This is not Andrew at all'
Friends and neighbours have spent the last week pleading for his return, many putting up flyers on street posts throughout downtown and east-end communities trying to locate the Toronto man.
“He didn’t show up to work Tuesday and did not contact his employer, which is very out of character for him,” the bulletin claimed.
Spent the day putting up flyers for my missing neighbour Andrew. Hope he's okay. pic.twitter.com/mh0JfgkVX6
— Robin LeBlanc (@TheThirstyWench) June 30, 2017
"This is not Andrew at all," Healey stated. "He had a cat, he wouldn't leave that cat, he loved it so much.
"When we went into the apartment [last] Thursday the cat hadn't been fed in two days."
Many describe Kinsman as a well-known member of the Cabbagetown community.
On his Facebook page, Kinsman says he worked at Toronto HIV/AIDS Network, a local advocacy group. He is also a longtime volunteer at the Toronto People with AIDS Foundation.
According to friends, Kinsman said he was meeting up with a couple from Australia who were visiting Toronto during Pride weekend.
Healey says he saw Kinsman Sunday night as he headed back over to Church Street to continue his Toronto Pride celebrations.
"He was happy, he was actually excited to go back out to see more of Pride," he said. "It's just totally out of character for him to up and leave like that."
'We just want him to come home'
A GoFundMe page has been set up by Michael Park Ranger who identifies himself as Kinsman’s friend.
“Costs are incurring in the search for him so we are trying to raise funds to assist in finding him,” the GoFundMe page reads.
It is trying to raise $5,000. As of Monday evening, $1,115 has been given.
Kinsman is described as approximately 6’2” with a medium to stocky build, brown buzz-cut hair and beard.
He wears glasses and has a vertical scar on each of his knees from past surgeries, along with two tattoos – an armband-type tattoo with wording on his right bicep and an armband with an expletive word tattooed on the left side of his chest.
Kinsman is often seen wearing cargo shorts or brown leather Birkenstock sandals.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 416-808-5100.
"We just want him to come home," Healey said.