A man charged with manslaughter in the 2017 death of a senior outside a Vancouver Costco has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Thomas Stephen Toth of Vancouver was charged after an altercation took place just after 11 a.m. on Dec. 20, 2017 outside the Costco on Expo Boulevard.
The victim, 86-year-old Orlando Ocampo, suffered a serious head injury after being shoved to the ground by Toth.
Ocampo was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries but passed away in hospital on Jan. 11, 2018.
According to evidence given in court, Toth believed Ocampo elbowed him while he and his teenage daughter were leaving Costco that day. Toth then swore at Ocampo, who alerted the security guard but the situation escalated when Ocampo pepper-sprayed Toth and his daughter.
He was several feet away when Toth caught up with him, pushing him to the ground from behind.
Toth was initially taken into custody two hours after the incident but was released without charge.
He was charged with manslaughter in June 2018.
Toth failed to appear in court earlier this year and a Canada-wide warrant was issued for his arrest. Vancouver police located him in late May.
His 18-month sentence includes three months for failing to appear at his hearing in March.
He also received two years probation and a 10-year firearm prohibition.
As aggravating circumstances, the judge noted this was an intentional act, not an accident and that Toth followed Ocampo who was a smaller older man.
Last week Toth apologized to Ocampo’s family saying “I’m sad for the family. I’m sad what I did.”
-with files from Rumina Daya
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