Toronto Subway Stabbing That Left Woman Dead a Random Attack, Police Say

The Toronto Police Service emblem is seen at TPS headquarters in Toronto on May 17, 2022. The Canadian Press/Christopher Katsarov

A stabbing at a subway station in west Toronto Thursday that left one woman dead and another injured was perpetrated by a stranger to the victims, say Toronto police.

“The accused and victims were not known to each other,” police said in a news release on Dec. 9.

Police responded to calls at around 2 p.m. on Dec. 8 reporting an assault and stabbing at High Park station’s eastbound platform. Police arrived on the scene to find two women with knife wounds who were taken to the hospital.

Police found the suspect, 52-year-old Neng Jia Jin, at the same subway station and arrested him. Jin is charged with one count of first degree murder and one of attempted murder.

One of the victims, 31-year-old Vanessa Kurpiewska, died in hospital shortly after the attack. The other victim, a 37-year-old woman whom police did not identify in their report, was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released from hospital.

Jin’s court hearing is scheduled for Friday morning at Toronto’s Old City Hall.

Random Attacks

The random attack comes about eight months after Toronto police reported the murders of two male victims to also be “unprovoked” and perpetrated by “a complete stranger.”

Kartik Vasudev, 21, was shot and killed on April 7 at the Sherbourne subway station, while Elijah Eleazar Mahepath, 35, was shot and killed two days later near Dundas Street East and George Street, according to the National Post.

“Our investigators were able to quickly draw a link,” said Toronto Police Chief James Ramer during a press conference in April, going on to identify the suspect as 39-year-old Toronto man Richard Jonathan Edwin.

Police said Edwin had no criminal record and was the lawful owner of the weapons used in the attacks.

“We have nothing to suggest that he knew either one of [the victims],” said Det. Sgt. Terry Browne. “It was a chance meeting, a chance passing and for reasons that are only known to the suspect, these two people were victimized on that day.”

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.