Police have arrested seven people and issued warrants for two others after a vicious assault in North York that left a 19-year-old man in a coma for several days last month.
The victim was cycling towards a plaza on Parkway Forest Drive near Sheppard Avenue and Highway 404 on May 25 when he was confronted by several suspects that robbed him of some personal property, police say.
Following the robbery, the victim began cycling away from the suspects but he came to a stop a short distance away after being struck by a weighted object.
Police say a group of about 15 people then surrounded the victim. Some of those people assaulted the victim, police allege, while others cheered them on.
The victim sustained a significant head injury as a result of the attack and ended up in a coma for several days, according to police.
On Thursday, police executed multiple search warrants in connection with their investigation into the attack. During the execution of those search warrants, one adult male and six teenagers ranging in age from 15 to 17 were arrested.
Hassan Hassan, 36, of Toronto, is charged with aggravated assault.
The other suspects, meanwhile, cannot be identified under the terms of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Police have also issued arrest warrants for two other suspects.
Nakhari Henry-Robinson, 18, of Toronto, is wanted for aggravated assault and failure to comply with a court order while Tajon James, 19, of Toronto, is wanted for aggravated assault and robbery.
Police say that they are continuing to investigate the attack and still want to speak with witnesses or anyone with surveillance footage that captures any part of the incident.
