Man found dead on UofT’s downtown campus was victim of ‘unprovoked’ assault, police say

Toronto police provide an update on the body found at UofT and the search for a suspect.

Toronto police have released images of a suspect wanted in connection with an “unprovoked” assault on a man who was later found dead on the University of Toronto’s downtown campus on Thursday morning.

The victim, police said Friday, has been identified as 60-year-old Mario Ferreira, who is believed to be an unhoused individual with no association to the university.

Ferreira was found outside the Leslie L. Dan Pharmacy Building at 144 College St., just west of Queen’s Park Crescent, at around 8:20 a.m. on Thursday. But the attack allegedly occurred about three hours before, as Det.-Sgt. Trevor Grieve said surveillance footage captured Ferreira on a bench at around 5:20 a.m.

He adds that the suspect was seen allegedly arming himself with “debris,” which he likely picked up from a dumpster or construction site in the area. He did not say what kind of object it was.

The suspect approached the victim, who was either lying down or sleeping on the bench, and allegedly used that debris to “assault him repeatedly and violently.” Grieve says the suspect fled the area on foot, allegedly still wielding that object he used in the assault.

“From what I can see on the surveillance, I do not see any sort of altercation that occurs between the victim and the suspect,” Grieve told reporters on Friday afternoon. “I am treating this as a completely random incident.”

When police found Ferreira’s body hours later, Grieve said he was unconscious and not breathing. He died at the scene.

“The post-mortem was conducted today, and ultimately the cause of death will be blunt force trauma,” Grieve said.

Police are looking for a suspect, who they describe as a man with a medium to large build, weighing about 200 pounds with a black beard and black hair in short dreadlocks. They add that he was last seen wearing a beige camouflage short sleeve shirt, black pants, black shoes, and a blue and black backpack.

The suspect is considered to be armed and dangerous. Police urge the public to immediately call 9-1-1 if found, and avoid approaching the suspect.

“To the suspect, if you see yourself on these images, if you’re out walking by a business or are in a location and you see yourself, I urge you please, seek counsel, and turn yourself in to the local police station,” Grieve said.

Investigators are asking anyone with information or relevant footage from between 5 and 5:30 a.m. on March 20 to call them or Crime Stoppers anonymously.