Toronto Woman Jabbed in the Back with Needle, Asked to Get Blood Tests

A Toronto woman was allegedly jabbed in the back with a needle in Yonge and College street area while running errands. The incident took place at a busy intersection and she was unable to identify the person who jabbed her from behind. The woman visited the doctor who recommended blood tests.

Junlan Li described through a Reddit post the incident that took place on Sunday just after 3:15 p.m. She also spoke with CTV news on Monday and said, “I was just going to the grocery store, thinking about all the things I needed to buy, and then someone bumped me from behind, in a specific spot in my back, and I thought, ‘That was kind of weird’.” Because it was a busy intersection, Li could not spot who jabbed her in the back.

Li was then stopped by someone who witnessed the incident and said that the man who bumped into her did it on purpose. She was asked to check if any of her belongings were missing, which were not. Li brushed it off and went on her way. A few minutes later, she started to feel a burning sensation on her back, right where she was jabbed. She stated that she could feel a tiny puncture mark which prompted her to look for the nearest emergency department.

Li spent about five hours in the hospital and the doctors treated the needlestick. They also ordered blood tests that she needs to get done within 72 hours which will tell her if she needs to get post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). It is a type to treatment for HIV which has to be started within 72 hours of possible exposure. Li has an appointment scheduled for today, Tuesday.

According to CTV News, Toronto Police Service (TPS) is going over surveillance footage to identify the suspect. Const. Cindy Chung shared, “This is not a common incident. If this does happen to someone, I would recommend that they report the incident to the police and follow up with the hospital and complete any testing recommended to ensure their health and safety.”

Li thanked the witness who pointed out the unusual activity to her otherwise she may have not realized something was wrong. She often deals with back pain so could have brushed off the pain from the needle. The woman called the Toronto police’s non-emergency line while waiting at the hospital and it took her about two hours to make a statement.

Vineet Washington