Man reported missing from downtown Toronto fled country

A day after the Toronto police requested the public’s help finding a missing man, they revealed that he had actually fled the country two weeks prior.

On Monday, police published a news release about the disappearance of Zhebin Cong, 47, from the Queen Street West and Ossington Avenue area on July 3.

On Tuesday evening, Const. Caroline de Kloet told CBC News that they had confirmed that Cong boarded an international flight on the same day that he went missing.

She said that police are now working with international law enforcement on “next steps” and that the investigation is ongoing.

The original news release described Cong as someone who had difficulty speaking English. It also said police were concerned for his safety.