FOG BLOG CANADA NEWS LOG: TEEN GIRLS SWARM MAN AND STAB HIM TO DEATH IN DOWNTOWN TORONTO!

Teen girls charged with murder in Toronto 'swarming' death were after liquor bottle, witness says Sociologist says there's no reason to believe there's a surge in female youth crime Warning: This story includes graphic details.

An alleged "swarming" attack in Toronto started when the eight teen girls charged in the slaying tried to take a liquor bottle from the victim and his friend, the friend says.

That witness, who CBC Toronto has agreed not to name because they belong to a vulnerable community, said she was smoking a cigarette with the man outside a downtown shelter early Sunday when the group of teens approached them and attempted to take her alcohol.

The 59-year-old victim, who police have not publicly identified, told the girls to leave the two of them alone, the woman said.

"He protected me," she added.

That's when the group of girls started to punch him repeatedly, she recalled. Frightened by the violence, she walked away while one of the girls followed her. She said she could see lots of blood.

"Bleeding, bleeding, bleeding. I didn't know if they had a knife or what. I was just scared," she said. "I think they stabbed his belly."

She said she went into the shelter and brought him water afterwards. "I didn't know he would die," she said.

• 8 teen girls charged with murder in Toronto man's swarming death

In an interview Wednesday, Toronto police Det.-Sgt. Terry Browne said investigators believe there was an attempted theft — "likely of a liquor bottle" — during the initial phase of the deadly encounter.

"I don't want to expand on that because we don't have all the moving parts right now. But we do believe that does form part of the narrative involved in this," he said.

The attack happened around 12:15 a.m. ET near the corner of York Street and University Avenue, just steps from Union Station. The victim was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Browne, who has been a homicide detective for 19 years, called it a "shocking" killing and said it is unlike anything he's investigated before.

"I can't recall a situation where eight females have been involved in something like this."

Teens charged with 2nd-degree murder

At a news conference Tuesday, Browne said the victim was beaten and stabbed by the group, which included three 13- year-olds, three 14-year-olds and two 16-year-olds. All eight have been charged with second-degree murder. Their identities are protected by the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Browne said police chose to charge all eight with second-degree murder because each girl "played a role" in the slaying.

"All eight were together. All eight were involved," he said Wednesday. " I won't say what each one individually did, but all eight were together and participating in this event, which is disturbing."

Police are operating under the assumption that the girls met on social media, Browne said, but it's not yet clear how or why they ended up downtown late Saturday and into Sunday morning. They all live in different parts of the city, he said.

Three had had "prior contact" with police, he added. Investigators have no evidence that the victim was known to them, Browne said.