Heavily tattooed man sought in ‘unprovoked’ daylight stabbing of stranger at Yonge and Bloor

Toronto police have released a photo of a man with extensive facial tattoos who allegedly came up behind a total stranger and stabbed him, unprovoked, at 8 a.m. Friday at Yonge and Bloor, one of the city’s busiest intersections.

The stranger was seriously injured but is expected to survive, police said.

“The male victim was walking alone on the sidewalk when he was approached from behind,” police said.

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His alleged attacker fled. Initial reports described him as a bearded male, and a photo that appeared to be taken from security cameras showed a man wearing a backwards baseball cap.

But a release late Saturday included a suspect photo that showed a man whose face and neck are covered in tattoos, including a large cross on his forehead.

Police named the suspect and two charges against him: Anthony Christopher David McLaughlin, 36, is wanted for assault causing bodily harm and assault with a weapon.

The attack comes as crime and quality of life are among the top issues in a Toronto municipal election set for Oct. 26. A day earlier, a police officer was shot a few blocks away at Bloor and Sherbourne while arresting a suspect in the theft of an e-bike.