TORONTO — A 31-year-old man accused of first-degree murder in the death of a homeless man in Toronto has a history of violent criminal charges, including attempted murder and assault with a weapon.
Toronto police say they arrested 31-year-old Adimabua Chukwuka late Friday afternoon, a few hours after 60-year-old Mario Ferreira was found dead near the University of Toronto campus.
Investigators say they have video of Chukwuka allegedly using debris, possibly from a dumpster or construction site, to repeatedly attack Ferreira while he lay on a bench around 5:20 a.m on Thursday morning.
Past news releases from Toronto Police show Chukwuka was charged with multiple offenses in separate incidents in 2014 and 2022.
He was accused in multiple stabbings in August of 2014 and charged with 10 counts, including attempted murder, aggravated assault and failing to comply with probation.
Police laid 10 more charges in April 2022 after two more incidents in which Chukwuka allegedly pulled a knife on a man and stole his cellphone, and stabbed another man twice in the chest during a dispute.
The charges he faced in those cases included possessing a dangerous weapon, assault with a weapon and robbery with a weapon.
The outcome of his various criminal charges was not immediately known.
Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press
