Toronto police continue to look for a 33-year-old man wanted for murder in connection with the deaths of his two female relatives.
On Friday afternoon, officers found two women dead inside a home in the area of Sheldon and Silvercrest avenues. Police said a concerned family member called them to ask that they check on their relatives at that Etobicoke home.
Toronto police vehicles seen outside a home in Etobicoke where two females were found on dead on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Jacob Estrin/CTV News Toronto)
“We came here to confirm that they were okay and, unfortunately, did not work out that way,” Det. Sgt. Jason Davis of the homicide unit told reporters on Friday. He did not disclose the nature of their injuries.
Davis said police were “actively looking” for a relative of the victims, Joseph Ayala, who is wanted for second-degree murder.
While police have not identified the victims, a family member told CTV News Toronto that Ayala lived in the home with his mother and grandmother.
The family member said the 33-year-old, who was raised in the home, has been struggling with mental illness and not taking his prescribed medication regularly.
Police have released photos of Ayala, who is described as five-foot-11 and has a shaved head. He is known to wear a cowboy hat, a cowboy-style jacket with tassels on the sleeve and black cowboy boots.
Police say 33-year-old Joseph Ayala is wanted in connection with a homicide in Etobicoke on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (TPS)
“If the public does see Mr. Ayala, please call 9-1-1. Please do not engage with him. Contact us, and we will be there as quickly as possible,” Davis said.
He noted that it was too early in the investigation to determine the motive.
As of Saturday afternoon, Ayala remains at large.