While few have forgotten the Forest Hill disappearance of Mariam last September, the recent stabbing by her father Vakhtang Makhniashvili has created more cause for concern in the neighbourhood.
“I don’t know the family well, but I feel for them, I really feel for them,” said Lindita Angjieli, who lives on Shallmar Boulevard, in the same apartment building the Makhniashvilis call home.
Another neighbour, who preferred to remain unidentified, said she found news of the stabbing surprising, as the neighbourhood is usually very quiet.
According to investigations by Toronto Police Det. Sgt. Dan Nealon, it is likely that 50-year-old Makhniashvili has felt unsettled ever since he moved from his native Georgia five years ago. Before Makhniashvili was released on $50,000 bail, police requested that he undergo a pyschiatric assessment.
On the night of the stabbing, Makhniashvili allegedly banged on the door of his 26-year-old neighbour, started yelling and then stabbed him. The neighbour was taken to hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries. Makhniashvili was charged on four counts.
Nealon said Mariam’s case is still active. “You work on them as much as you can,” he said. “Usually until they’re found.”