Peel police say the suspects involved in a “vicious assault” on a man with autism in Mississauga may be from British Columbia.
In a statement to CTV News Toronto, police said they could not provide specific details as to where they got their information, but they “have verified it and it looks to be credible.”
“Our information is that all three parties responsible for this assault are from British Columbia, the lower mainland area,” Const. Harinder Sohi told CTV News Toronto.
Police are asking people in B.C. to take a look at video footage of the attack and to contact investigators if they have any information.
The video shows three men approaching a 29-year-old autistic man sitting on a staircase at the Square One bus station around 10:45 p.m. on March 13. It appears as though the man was removing rollerblades and putting on his running shoes when the three men surround him and began to kick and punch him repeatedly.
The attack took less than 15 seconds. Police believe the suspects left the scene in a vehicle.
Sohi told CTV News Toronto last Thursday that the man suffered a broken nose and has cuts to his face.
“He is out of hospital now and at home,” he said. “ He’s got good support with his family and he is doing well, as much as can be expected at this point.”
Police are hopeful that someone in B.C. will watch the security footage and help police identify suspects in the case. Screenshots from the footage show three South Asian men, about five-foot-ten, wearing black track pants and black shoes. The first suspect is being described as having a thin build and a short beard. The second is clean shaven, and the third has a medium build and is being described as unshaven by police.
Police say they continue to receive lots of tips in connection with the incident. “I think this shows the power of social media,” Sohi said. “Once we released the video to the public, it was amazing not just the tips that we received, but the response from the community for the victim itself.”
