Khmer man murdered in Greater Toronto Area (Canada)

Fight leads to stabbing death: Police

By ROB LAMBERTI,
Toronto Sun
Last Updated: October 18, 2010

Homicide investigators believe it was a fight that got out of control that led to the stabbing death of Vandin Svay.

The 28-year-old married man was caught in a Saturday night fight during a function organized within the Cambodian community at the New Century Plaza at 398 Ferrier St., in the Steeles and Warden Aves. area.

York Regional Polce homicide Det.-Sgt. Larry Wilson said the fight apparently began inside the mall and spilled outside into the parking lot.

“There doesn’t appear to be any type of organized crime thing or gang type thing,” Wilson said. “It just seems to be some altercation that has occurred.”

He said there was a function in the banquet hall that’s inside the mall and that’s where the fight apparently began.

“There was a lot movement inside the plaza, out to the parking lot,” he said.

Wilson said the victim’s wife was at the function but apparently didn’t witness much of the incident.

Two victims were taken to a Scarborough hospital by friends.

Svay died, becoming the region’s fifth murder victim of the year, while the other victim, 24, was treated for injuries considered serious but not life threatening.

Wilson said there was a large crowd at the function and “we do have some people who are co-operating with us.

“I mean, do I have everybody who was there that knows everything? No,” he said. “But we do have people who are speaking to us.”

Wilson said the death was the result of “one thing leads to another and it gets out of hand.”

He said detectives have leads on people they want to speak with.

“(We want) to find out their roles and what they were at the banquet for, but we don’t have any names or true descriptors yet,” Wilson said.

It appears to have been a spontaneous, he said.

“Probably one of those things that get out hand at a function or a party,” Wilson said.

Anyone with information is asked to call York Regional Police 1-866-287-5025, ext. 7865, or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.