A Toronto woman who was set on fire last month on a public bus in an alleged hate crime has died from her injuries, according to police.
On June 17, a 20-year-old woman traveling to work as a caregiver was sitting on a slow-moving bus at the western end of the city when she was assaulted by another passenger.
“Then it was assumed that the man poured some kind of liquid substance or an accelerator on this woman and then ignited this substance, causing a fire and causing the burning of the victim,” agent Alex Li told reporters of the Toronto Police.
As the assailant fled the scene, traffic officers and passengers rushed to help the woman, quickly putting out the fire. She was treated by firefighters and taken to hospital in critical condition with second- and third-degree burns. At the time, police described his injuries as “life-altering.”
City Mayor John Tory called the attack a “shocking criminal act” and said residents were praying for its recovery.
Police arrested Tenzin Norbu, 33, and charged him with attempted murder and assault with a weapon, common nuisances that endangered the lives and safety of the public, and damages of more than $ 5,000 that interfere. with the property.
Police described the attack as an “isolated incident” and “chance”, but after consulting with the hate crime unit, said “the investigation is being treated as an alleged hate crime” .
In early July, the victim’s sister started a crowdfunding page. He wrote that his sister suffered “burns of all thickness, is in critical condition and with life support.”
“My sister is a caregiver who has lived a life of service to others,” her sister Dawa wrote. “At this point, we really need the support of all of you on your long journey.”
On July 5, police said the woman, who cannot be identified due to a publication ban, had succumbed to her injuries and the case had been taken to the homicide department.
The brazen attack is the latest in a series of troubling incidents to the city’s traffic system. In mid-April, a woman was pushed onto the tracks as a train approached. He was able to seek refuge under the lip of the subway platform, but suffered a broken rib.
A week earlier, Kartik Vasudev, a 21-year-old international student, had been shot dead outside a subway while going to work part-time.
Also in April, a 30-year-old man had been stabbed in the neck while waiting on a subway platform. Police described the incident as an “unprovoked attack.”
In response to the wave of violent attacks, as well as the increase in assaults and robberies, the city’s traffic commission has increased the number of patrols at traffic stations.