Woman with Hyderabad roots stabbed to death in Toronto parking lot

71-year-old Shahnaz Pestonji, originally from Hyderabad and living in Toronto, was fatally stabbed during a robbery in North York. Police identified 14-year-old Kymani Wint as the suspect. The tragedy has deeply shocked her family and the community

Hyderabad: Shahnaz Pestonji, a 71-year-old woman with roots in Hyderabad and settled in Toronto for several years, was stabbed to death in an “unprovoked” attack in a North York parking lot on Thursday morning.

According to Toronto police, 14-year-old Kymani Wint of Toronto is wanted for second-degree murder in connection with the incident. In a rare move, police released the teenager’s name and photos, with judicial authorisation, despite protections under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The attack occurred around 9:37 am near Parkway Forest Drive and Sheppard Avenue East while Shahnaz was loading groceries into her car. Officers found her with stab wounds, and she was rushed to hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.

“This was a robbery that escalated into a deadly attack,” Detective Matthew Pinfold of the homicide and missing persons unit said during a press conference on Friday.

Shahnaz is survived by her husband Soli Pestonji and daughters Yasmin and Dina Pestonji. Media reports quoted Soli as saying that Thursdays were typically her grocery shopping days. She usually left home by 9 am and returned around 11:30 am, often with bags from multiple stores.

The couple had recently celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary earlier this month.

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