Toronto police released a photo of a woman they hope to identify after a purse was reported stolen during the Grand Pride Wedding’s reception.
Toronto Police are investigating an alleged theft that took place during last Thursday's Grand Pride Wedding at Casa Loma after a purse was reported stolen during the wedding's reception.
The theft took place at around 6:30 p.m. and was reported shortly after the purse's owner realizes it was missing.
The suspect is described as white, 5-foot-5, weighing 100 pounds and with dark hair, wearing a black dress at the time of the alleged theft.
A photo of a suspect went viral on Facebook after Julie Kinnear wrote about the incident and posted photos of the alleged suspect on June 28. As of Monday afternoon the post had been shared more than 2,000 times on Facebook.
"OMG we have 1314 SHARES on the post of my sister in law having her purse stolen on their wedding day at Casa Loma at the Grand Pride Wedding!" read a Sunday night post on Ms. Kinnear's Facebook page. "It was a beautiful occasion and hopefully we will forget about the theft and upset at some point."
Kevin Naulis saw the message that was circulated on Facebook and shared the information on Twitter. His tweet has been retweeted more than 650 times.
According to Mr. Naulis, the woman whose purse was stolen was participating in the wedding.
"I saw the posting through a friend and immediately felt like my mission for WorldPride would be to find the suspected thief and get the bride's purse back," he said. "While it had become a police issue at that point, there's something to be said about community action, even if some may view it as just a purse. I felt like it was more than just a purse, personally. It's the interruption of a special day – a queer mass wedding."
The event saw 120 same-sex couples tie the knot during a group ceremony at Toronto's urban castle, followed by a reception on the castle grounds. It is estimated that around 800 people, including guests of the couples, attended the reception.
Police say that the investigation is ongoing.