

Paul Johnston, CP24.com





Remains found in Riverdale Tuesday morning are believed to be that of a woman, a Toronto police homicide detective said in an update Tuesday evening.

The discovery was made in the Broadview Avenue and Gerrard Street East area shortly before 11:30 a.m.

According to police, units responded to an unknown trouble call. On scene, officers located a garbage bag with what appeared to be a human torso behind a building on Broadview Avenue that houses a butcher shop.

The discovery was made by an employee of the shop.

“We do, in fact, believe it is a female (with) light skin,” Toronto police Det.-Sgt. Terry Browne said in an update provided at around 7:30 p.m.

“I can’t tell you a whole lot more than that. It is just a portion of what is believed to be a female. That’s where we’re at in the investigation right now.”

Browne was not able to speculate at the age of the possible victim.

Police are currently probing how the bag containing the remains came to be behind the building.

“We don’t believe it was there yesterday,” Browne said.

“It’s a fairly high-profile area. We would suspect that someone would have seen something in the area, and we’re asking them to give us a call.”

The remains, Browne said, suggest a “recent death.”

“There (are) not a whole lot of signs of decomposition on this person,” he said.

Police will be checking trash bins in the area ahead of an expected pickup later tonight.

“The fact that we only have a portion suggests that the remaining parts could possibly be in the vicinity,” Browne said. “So we’re asking everyone to be vigilant to their property. We’re certainly trying to find out where the rest of this individual may be.”

The area remains closed as various police units continue to investigate.