Family makes emotional appeal in New Year's slaying

The Toronto family of a man stabbed to deathearly New Year's Day has made an emotional pleato anyone who saw anything in the Liberty Village area to come forward.

Speaking ata police news conference on Monday afternoon, the brother, mother, sister and girlfriend of 24-year-old Michael Pimentelasked for any witnesses to approach police.

"If anybody has any information about my brother, please come forward," his brother Josh said. "Whoever did this is a big coward."

'Though they may think that they have no information to give, it may be the piece of the puzzle we need to solve this homicide.' Det.-Sgt. Wayne Banks, Toronto police

Det.-Sgt. Wayne Bankssaid Pimentel had been at a New Year's Eve party at the Liberty Grand nightclub on the CNE grounds. Sometime after 2 a.m., he and a group of about a dozen friends began walking to a friend's house in the Liberty Village area.

Pimentel broke off from the group as he wished other Torontonians a happyNew Year's,Banks said.

When he reached the intersection of HannaAvenue and Liberty Street, he was stabbed more than once. "Was there any type of a verbal argument or any type of a fight before that, we don't know," Banks said.

He walked to the east and collapsed near a Hero Burgersin the Liberty Village area, Banks said.

Emergency crews drovePimentelto St. Michael's Hospital after responding to an emergency call at 2:48 a.m., but he died soon afterwards.

Dozens of people nearby

At least 100people were in the areacelebrating New Year's, Banks said. He urged any of them, as well as any local residents or business owners who saw or heardanything or have video footage, to call police.

"Though they may think that they have no information to give, it may be the piece of the puzzle we need to solve this homicide," he said.

Banks said people can contact police at416-808-7400.

His family described Pimentel asthe father of a five-year-old girl who worked hard at his construction job.

"He was a great guy," his girlfriend, Jennifer DeFraga, said. "He was always cracking jokes. Always smiling. Just so funny and always on the go. He loved to work out and work hard. He was a hard-working man and father. Just an amazing person."

Meanwhile, Toronto police also released the name of a man shot in a separate New Year's Day killings

Police identified Jamal Franklin, 20, as theman shot deadat 4:30 a.m. Sunday on Hupfield Trail, in the Finch Avenue and Neilson Road area.