Creepy Yorkville condo stalker terrifies women
Toronto Sun
By: Ian Harvey
24 October 2017

"S.F" poses with her alarm keypad in her unit at 35 Balmuto St. in Toronto's Yorkville neighbourhood.Ernest Doroszuk  (Toronto Sun)

Women living in an upscale Yorkville condo fear a stalker is using a pass key to surreptitiously enter their homes and sexually gratify himself.

Adding to their terror, they have struggled with the building’s management to alert all residents at 35 Balmuto St.

The last incident was Sept. 26 when a 19-year-old university student living with her mother was horrified to find her picture moved into her bathroom where a man apparently masturbated while they were out for dinner.

“This is just frightening,” says her mother, S.F., who like the other women doesn’t want to be identified. “We feel like someone is watching us all the time.”

Toronto Police directed the property manager of the swank 48-storey building to alert residents by e-mail. However, that message didn’t reference the predatory sexual nature directly, calling it merely a “disturbing event.” Police have since twice requested more specific information be issued in a second more specific e-mail. But that has not happened, say the women residents.

On Sept 8, a 25-year-old woman was taking her coat off after work when a man—perhaps Hispanic—in his 20s and wearing a hard hat entered her unit without knocking.

“He just looked at me and turned and ran, slamming the door,” says J.J. “By the time I went out after him, he was gone.”

On Aug. 17, the smoke alarm at G.A.’s unit went off and the concierge found a candle had burned to the base.

“I’d left the previous Saturday for Jamaica on vacation,” she says. “I wasn’t there, but when I got back, I got a letter of reprimand warning me not to leave candles burning. But it wasn’t me.”

The women also report they’ve returned to their units to find pillows moved or other items out of place.

“It’s really creepy and you don’t feel safe in your own home,” she says.

With 284 units, the five-year-old Uptown Residence—steps south of Bloor and Bay Sts.—offers suites at 2,280 square feet to 383 square feet with penthouse units fetching $1.75 million. There’s 24/7 concierge and parking for visitors.

However, a flood affected 66 units last spring and since then, up to 100 workmen at a time have been going in and out, say residents, none of them wearing I.D. tags.

And as far back as a 2014 condo board meeting, residents expressed concerns theirs was “the only building in Toronto which does not have proper security.”

The minutes record: “The directors agree … board will obtain quotes from three or four companies and hire a security consultant to recommend solutions

Today, residents report little has been done and even the original installed alarms systems work only in some units.

Det. Const. Jeff Chahal, of 52 Division, says: “We are investigating. We want to get the word out and for others to come forward.”

Sandro J. Zuliani, president and CEO of the property management company, Crossbridge Condominium Services, says they taking direction from the condo board.

“I cannot respond to any of the questions,” he said. “We do take this seriously, we are reviewing security and looking into procedures.”

Condo directors — builder/developer Marco Mancini, and lawyer Steven Sokalsky — did not respond to calls or e-mails. A third director, realtor Maurice Kreitzer, said only: “I have nothing to say. Talk to the property manager.”

Take stalker reports seriously
Reports of multiple women stalked at a single address must be taken seriously, says Paul Amenta, Assistant Crown Attorney at Scarborough Provincial Court.

He cautions the man’s behaviour will escalate until he’s caught, pointing to Paul Bernardo, the Scarborough Rapist and Col. Russell Williams, who started out as seemingly innocuous peepers or panty fetishists.

“The perpetrator appears to be organized but not intelligent,” he says. “He may be a rape offender, probably carrying a knife and a rape kit will surface. I’m not trying to be alarmist but this is very serious.”

There are also legal liabilities for the board and the property management company, says Toronto condo lawyer Nick Poon, an associate at Gilbertson and Davis LLP.

“Under the Condominium Act and Occupiers Liability Act, the condo corporation has a duty to ensure persons are reasonably safe while in the common elements,” he says. “This issue is not a trivial matter; I would expect the board of directors should be investigating and determining whether there are adequate security measures.”

The lack of timely response seems bizarre, adds Linda Pinizzotto, founder and president of the Condo Owners Association (COA).

“Property managers take direction from the building’s board,” she says. “The board and the manger have a duty to protect residents.”

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