Toronto police are asking for the public’s help to identify two suspects who are wanted in a first-degree murder investigation after investigators alleged 16-year-old Matthew Dreaver was run over by a vehicle and left to die.
“It is clear to us the victim was intentionally struck,” Det. Leslie Dunkley told reporters Tuesday afternoon.
Emergency crews were called to a parking lot east of Stan Wadlow Park on Cosburn Avenue, east of Woodbine Avenue, with reports a pedestrian was struck before 2:30 a.m. on Monday. Toronto Paramedics took Dreaver to hospital where he was was later pronounced dead.
Dunkley said Dreaver and his 14-year-old friend had an interaction with the occupants of the vehicle in the parking lot of a Woodbine Avenue and O’Connor Drive-area property. He said words were exchanged and they walked away. A short time later, the occupants of that vehicle located the pair at the parking lot near Stan Wadlow Park.
It was alleged by police that the passenger got out of the vehicle and began chasing Dreaver and his friend on foot toward the community centre before the driver of the SUV mounted the curb and ran over Dreaver before taking off.
Dunkley said the vehicle is believed to have been in the area for about 15 minutes before the incident occurred. He said officers received some video showing the incident, but encouraged area residents to check their home video surveillance systems for anything that might be related to the investigation.
Gertrude Dreaver, Matthew’s grandmother, attended the scene on Monday where he died. She said she was struggling to understand why her grandson was targeted.
“Why? Why did those guys have to run him over? Apparently from what I hear they ran him over like a dog,” Gertrude told Global News Monday afternoon.
“Matthew was a good kid. He was a good kid. If he got in with the wrong crowd, I don’t know. I don’t know what to make of it today as of now.”
Investigators released photos of a small, black, four-door SUV Monday evening. Police said the SUV will have damage to the front of it.
Officers also released a description of the two suspect. The male driver was described as being roughly between 20 and 35 years old, standing five-foot-10 or five-foot-11 and having a round face with short-to-balding hair. The male passenger was described as standing five-foot-10 or five-foot-11 and having short-to-balding hair.
Dunkley encouraged the two suspects to contact a lawyer.
Anyone with information was asked to call police at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477.
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