Man assaults, threatens to kill woman walking with children in Toronto: police

A man assaulted and threatened to kill a woman who was walking with her children in Toronto after the two exchanged words, police say.

Toronto police said that officers responded to an unknown trouble call in the Don Mills Road and Sheppard Avenue East area at around 12:25 p.m. on Saturday.

The victim was walking with her children from Don Mills Subway Station and “a man made a comment towards the victim’s children which prompted the victim to reply to the suspect,” police said.

The man then went up to the woman and began kicking her, police said.

He then grabbed an object and “struck the victim multiple times over the head.”

It caused the woman to drop her phone, which then broke, police said.

The man also threatened to kill the victim, police said.

He reportedly fled the area on foot.

Police said the woman, who is in her 30s, went to hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Her children were not injured in the incident, police said.

On Sunday, police appealed to the public for help in identifying the suspect, releasing an image and a description.

Officers have since announced that 43-year-old Toronto resident Suresh Nithiyananthan has been arrested and charged with assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, uttering threats / death and mischief / damage to property not exceeding $5,000.

He was scheduled to appear in court on Monday.