Stefanie Rengel's Mom Takes Stand on Day 1 of Trial
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JOURNALIST’SJOURNALIST’S THE EAST TORONTO MESSAGEMESSAGE INSIDEINSIDE OFOF HOPEHOPE Heart to heart PAGE 4 OBSERVER PAGE 5 Friday • March 6 • 2009 PUBLISHED BY CENTENNIAL COLLEGE JOURNALISM STUDENTS AND SERVING EAST YORK Volume 39 • No. 3 A mother’s anguish Stefanie Rengel’s mom takes stand on Day 1 of trial By MONIQUE PLESSAS allegedly occurred on Oct. 20, Patricia Hung, the mother of 2007. a 14-year-old East York murder Before the knife attack, the victim, took the stand this week Crown prosecutor alleged, D.B. and a packed courtroom listened went to the victim’s house to to emotional testimony that confront her. He told her that contrasted sharply with the ac- the accused wanted him to stab cused’s cool demeanor. Stefanie. He then threw his cell- As the first witness in the trial of phone down on the driveway. a 17-year-old girl accused of pres- “When she calls, tell her I tried suring her boyfriend into mur- so she’ll stop pestering me to kill dering Stefanie Rengel, Hung, you,” D.B. allegedly told Stefanie. Observer, Rahul Gupta who is also a Toronto police offi - Hung testified that her daugh - PRETTY IN PINK : East Yorkers of all ages laced up their skates on Feb. 22 for councillor Janet cer, struggled at ter called her after D.B. left and times to retain told her what had happened. Davis’ sixth annual skating party at East York Memorial Arena. From left, five-year-olds Sophia her composure Hung rushed home, and after Roy, Bianca Barakett-Grossi, Michaela Roy and Olivia Barakett-Grossi show off their skating on the stand speaking with Stefanie, allegedly moves and their smiles. while recount- called D.B.’s mother to let her ing the events know what he had done. Both leading up to mothers agreed Stefanie and her daughter’s D.B. were not to have any fur- Brother last to see slain girl alive murder. HUNG ther contact. By RYAN SANG He watched her until she was Shoebottom was on the phone The 17-year-old girl, who can Hung then called the accused The younger brother of no longer in sight. That would with a 911 dispatcher, Stefanie be identified only as M.T., faces to confront her and explain to her Stefanie Rengel took the stand be the last time he saw his sister mumbled the name of her first-degree murder charges. The that Stefanie was not interested on the second day of the trial of alive. alleged attacker and pointed out victim, who was a student at the in D.B. She further explained his sister’s accused killer. Another witness, 34-year- the direction in which he’d been Rosedale Heights School for the that her daughter was trying to Ian Rengel, 13, told the court old Gavin Shoebottom, also heading. Arts, was killed on New Year’s help her by warning her of D.B.’s on Wednesday that he was testified during Wednesday’s “She was saying, ‘It hurts Day in 2008 near her home on cheating behaviour. Hung al- watching television when he proceedings. He said he was so much. It hurts so much,’” Northdale Boulevard. leged that the accused was “rude heard his sister’s cellphone ring heading home from his wife’s Shoebottom said. The trial started on Tuesday and belligerent” on the phone. on New Year’s Day 2008. dance studio the day the victim He said he tried to comfort the morning with opening state- “Your daughter just has to stop Court heard that Stefanie died. He told the courts that as he teenager, telling her it would “be ments from Crown prosecutor spreading rumours about me,” answered and seemed unsure was driving through East York, OK,” and then he wrapped her Robin Flumerfelt at the Ontario the accused, M.T., allegedly told of the person who was calling. he saw Stefanie stumbling near in a blanket he found in his car Court of Justice. her. Ian said he heard the person on a snowbank with a cellphone in and tried to cover her wounds. The accused and her boyfriend Hung warned M.T. to stay away the other end say, “Meet me....” her right hand. According to testimony, cannot be identified under the from Stefanie and assumed the Stefanie then put her boots on. “I rolled down my window and paramedics arrived shortly after Youth Criminal Justice Act. The incident was now behind them. “She said she’s only gonna be asked if she was OK,” Shoebottom and found Stefanie Rengel with boyfriend, known only as D.B., But Flumerfelt alleged that two seconds,” said Ian, who was said. “(Stefanie) said, ‘No, I need no pulse. is also charged with Stefanie’s the accused still harboured 12 at the time, “and she leaves.” help.’” According to the witness, The Crown also showed the murder, and will go on trial later jealousy that escalated to ob- According to Ian’s testimony, she told him that she had been jury the eight-inch knife believed this year. session. The Crown prosecu- Stefanie then walked outside. stabbed, and then she collapsed to have been used by the alleged In his opening statement, tor alleged that MSN messages “I looked out the window to see into the snowbank. killer in the act. Flumerfelt recounted events that See MOTHER, page 8 where she was going,” he said. The court heard that while The trial continues. Toronto fraud case linked to spa on Danforth By OMAR MOSLEH Referring to the Danforth shop- fessional and courteous,” Smith A recently opened Danforth ping district, Hall said: “A lot of said. spa was forced to close after a the activity using the cloned cred- But others, like graduate stu- massive police raid connected it cards occurred in that area…. dent Cindy Lessard, thought to allegations that the spa’s They were actively using cloned something might be amiss. furnishings were paid for with credit cards in the Danforth area, Lessard is a book and magazine fraudulent credit cards. whether it be at the Home De- publishing student at Centennial The Jung Spa, located at 257 pot, Shopper’s Drug Mart, or a College’s East York campus on Danforth Ave., opened on Feb. 8 local coffee shop.” Carlaw Avenue. The students and was raided by over 48 officers Some neighbours of the Jung produce profiles of business own - on Feb. 19. Four people now face Spa expressed surprise at the ers for their magazine “On The a total of more than 100 charges raid and charges. Danforth.” Lessard interviewed in connection with the raid. Brien Smith is a partner in Julia Sung, one of the accused, Const. Todd Hall, of 11 Divi- Martaugh Smith Financial, an and said her behaviour was odd. sion’s major crime unit, is one of insurance broker located directly “She was very evasive,” Les- the leading detectives investigat- behind the spa. He said he was in sard said. “She wouldn’t tell me ing the case – one of the largest the process of providing the spa her age, she wouldn’t tell me he says he’s ever worked on. owners with insurance for their where she went to university.” The charges’ specifics relate to business. Lessard added that she was even much of the spa’s interior, Hall “They were very knowledge- wary of having her photo taken. said, including renovations, but able about their business, pro- See CHARGES, page 8 also “massage tables, TVs, down to the sheets, robes, towels and stool chairs.” The total dollar Your link to NDP convention amount is about $500,000, he East York will be heavily rep- (Timmins-James Bay) and An- said. resented at this weekend’s NDP drea Horwath (Hamilton Cen- An investigation into a credit provincial leadership conven- tre) are running to be the NDP’s Observer, Omar Mosleh card cloning ring began last JUNG SPA RAID: Located at 257 Danforth Ave., the spa opened tion in Hamilton. MPPs Michael next leader. Log on to torontoob- June, involved another spa in Prue (Beaches-East York) and server.ca this weekend for con- on Feb. 8 and was raided by police on Feb. 19. Four people now Yorkville, search warrants, and Peter Tabuns (Toronto-Dan- vention updates. face more than 100 charges in connection with allegations that tips from banks about suspicious forth), along with Gilles Bisson See NDP, page 8 interior renovations were financed through credit card cloning. credit card activity. Page 2 — East York’s Observer, March 6, 2009 Police beat Six arrested in East York drug bust Six people have been charged with a number of drug-related offences, after an investigation into illegal drug distribution led police to a house near Danforth and Woodbine avenues. Two men were originally arrested and charged after coming out of the residence in question, at 1059 Woodbine Ave. Following the execution of a search warrant on Feb. 25, four additional arrests were made and further charges were laid. Michael Bonear, 22, and James Scullion, 27, have both been charged with possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking. Anthony Napolitano, 29, has been charged with possession of marijuana and possession of hashish. Matthew Claridge, 22, has been charged with possessing the proceeds of crime. Richard Crimp, 30, and Michelle Cannarella, 27, were charged with eight drug-related offences and with possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of property obtained by crime and several counts of failure to comply with a recognizance. —Monique Plessas Observer, Tim Burden REVISITING CANADIAN CULTURE: Canadian author Lee Gowan is part of a group of authors participating in a series developed to help communities rediscover Canadian culture.