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Ontario Police Release Nationwide Warrant for ‘High-Risk Offender’ Who Frequents Toronto


The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has issued a Canada-wide warrant for a violent offender with a history of attacking children, just a few weeks after his release from prison to a residential facility in Toronto.

The OPP’s Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement (ROPE) Squad stated that 44-year-old Simon Gares, identified as a threat by Toronto police, is wanted for violating his release conditions.

The nation-wide warrant was issued on April 8, following an advisory from Toronto police about Gares’ release from prison, warning of his high-risk status and potential danger to the community, especially children.

Simon Gares in a police handout photo. (Ontario Provincial Police)

Simon Gares in a police handout photo. Ontario Provincial Police

Gares is described as five-foot-10, 170 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. He has several tattoos, including a dragon and tribal joker on his shoulders, an Irish Cross on his forearm, and more. Gares frequents the Toronto area and was on statutory release from prison when the warrant was issued.

Currently serving a sentence for violating a supervision order, Gares has a criminal history dating back to 1995, with charges including assault, robbery, and more.

Statutory release allows inmates to finish their sentence in the community under supervision, according to the Parole Board of Canada. Offenders must adhere to conditions like abstaining from alcohol and drugs.
Gares’ criminal record includes an assault on a five-year-old boy in 2018 in Toronto, where he punched and kicked the victim without provocation, as documented in court documents.

Gares was arrested by Toronto police following the assault, claiming schizophrenia and hearing voices that urged him to harm others, though he later denied these claims.

Carolina Avendano contributed to this report.



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