Son charged in death of Toronto woman found dismembered in garbage bag

Warning: some of the details in the story are disturbing.

Police have charged the 20-year-old son of a woman found dead in a garbage bag in Toronto’s Leslieville neighbourhood earlier this week with second-degree murder.

Officers were originally called to the area of Eastern Avenue and Berkshire Avenue in Leslieville at around 1:30 p.m. on March 28 after a passerby found human remains in a garbage bag on the south sidewalk.

Investigators said Tuesday that the victim’s death was deemed a homicide following the results of an autopsy. There were obvious signs of trauma and some dismemberment of the body, police said.

The woman was later identified as Tien Ly, a 46-year-old manicurist who owned her own business in the city’s Yorkville area.

Police released a distinctive nail pattern and a description of a dress she wore in a bid to identify her.

On Wednesday, police made a public appeal to locate Ly’s son, Dallas Ly, and searched the woman’s home in the Dundas Street and Carlaw Avenue area.

On Saturday, police said Dallas was found and taken into custody.

Investigators said Sunday they now allege Dallas was responsible for the death of his mother.

He faces one count of second-degree murder.

He will appear in court virtually on Sunday morning at Old City Hall.

Friends and coworkers who spoke to CP24 over the past week say Tien loved her son very much, was a very hard worker and had only opened up her own business a few months ago.

Police are asking anyone with information about this incident to call homicide detectives.