Hammer attack kills dad

Son arrested after 'friendly' Rexdale senior bludgeoned to death

By JACK BOLAND -- Sun Media
    
TORONTO (Sun Media) - A Rexdale man is charged with first-degree murder after his father, a "friendly" 78-year-old, was fatally bludgeoned with a hammer near the family home in northwest Toronto Monday.

Police identified the dead man today as Felice Bonadonna, 78, of Toronto.

Toronto Police received a 911 call -- allegedly from the son -- just before 5 p.m. that brought them to the home on Arcot Blvd., in the Weston and Albion Rds. area.

Jim Pearson, who lives across from the crime scene, said he had just returned home from work and was in his backyard when four cruisers came screaming onto the street.

'YOUNG GUY'

"The cops ran up that driveway," Pearson said, pointing to Arcot Blvd. "There was a young guy standing there talking on a phone.

"The cops grabbed him. He didn't put up a fight at all. They put the handcuffs on him and then took him to the fourth cruiser and then they were gone."

He described the victim as "friendly" with everyone on the street.

Another neighbour, Kunar, said he was told the dead man's wife passed away about three years ago and that he was living with his son, who is in his mid-to-late 30s.

Another neighbour, Mario Maggisano, said the victim has lived on the street since 1967. He described them as a quiet Italian family, but said he did hear a commotion over the fences on Sunday.

"I heard some yelling coming from their backyard," he said.

Roy Bonadonna, 38, of Toronto, is charged with first-degree murder.

It's the second time in just over a month that a son has been charged after an alleged hammer attack on parents.

In early April, police were called to Broadway Ave., near Hanna Rd., where they found a man, 59, and woman, 57 badly hurt

The couple's adopted son, who lived with them, was arrested.

Graham Beange, 20, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault.

People who know the family said they were very nice people who dined regularly with their neighbours.

The husband had just retired as a senior policy analyst with the Ontario ministry of transportation.