As investigations continue into alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur, a Toronto police source tells Global News McArthur was arrested for an alleged sexual assault during a date that reportedly went very wrong.
The incident is now the subject of a professional standards unit investigation after Det. Sgt. Hank Idsinga, the officer leading the investigation into McArthur, reported it to the unit.
The source said McArthur agreed to meet a man he became acquainted with through an online dating app. The two agreed to meet for consensual sex at a secluded North York parking lot. During the date, the source said McArthur allegedly started to choke the man while the couple were in the back of McArthur’s red van. The man was able to fight McArthur off and told McArthur he was going to call police, the source said.
McArthur reportedly drove to the 41 Division police station in Scarborough where he told officers they were going to be called about a sexual assault, saying it wasn’t true and that it was consensual.
As that was happening, the source said the man who was allegedly choked called police and officers from 32 Division in Toronto’s north end responded. At some point, the source said McArthur was placed under arrest and taken to 32 Division where the investigation continued.
McArthur, a 66-year-old self-employed landscaper, was interviewed before he was released. McArthur was not charged.
The date happened the year before the disappearances of Selim Esen and Andrew Kinsman. McArthur was arrested and charged with the first-degree murder of Esen and Kinsman on Jan. 18, following a months-long probe into missing persons cases. McArthur was first considered a suspect in November 2017 during the investigation of the two missing men, Idsinga told Global News.
Global News spoke with Idsinga on Wednesday and he would not confirm any of the details of the complaint.
On Jan. 29, police said McArthur was charged with three more counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Majeed Kayhan, Dean Lisowick and Soroush Mahmudi.
On Feb. 23, McArthur was charged with a sixth count of first-degree murder in the death of Skandaraj Navaratnam.
Meanwhile, anyone who retained McArthur to do landscaping work or has information has been asked to contact the Toronto police team dedicated to the investigation at 416-808-2021 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477.
— With files from Nick Westoll