Igor’s at it Again

Two versions of Igor Kenk: The Manson-like scruffy man we often saw, and the cleaned-up-for-court version we became acquainted with.

Igor Kenk – Accordion City’s most notorious bike thief, possessor of a name worthy of a James Bond villain and all-round human colostomy bag – just doesn’t know when to quit. Yesterday afternoon, he had three charges added to his already impressive collection, but instead of bike theft or drug charges, these newest ones are for assault.

For well over a decade, Igor was the principal figure in Toronto cyclist demonology. His shady bicycle shop at the corner of Queen and Strachan was the first place you’d visit immediately after discovering that your bike was stolen. The odds were good that you’d find your missing bike sitting in his inventory, a hodgepodge rat’s-nest collection of bikes that he somehow managed jam into the small confines of his store.

After years of managing to somehow keep charges from sticking to his slimy hide, Igor’s activities were finally curtailed this summer when a “sting” operation successfully caught him in the act. The ensuing investigation turned up almost 3,000 bikes stored in a dozen locations across the city – in his shop as well as in a number of rented garages – as well as some drugs. As a result, he amassed 58 charges.

The Toronto Star explains how he got three new ones yesterday:

A 50-year-old Toronto man faces three charges after he swung a metal pipe at two people this afternoon.

The suspect was trying to remove property from a home on Dufferin St. and Wallace Ave. when the homeowners tried to stop him.

"He says it was his (property), and the owners are saying it was theirs," said Det. Hoffmeyer of Toronto police.

The suspect swung a metal pipe at the homeowners. No injuries were reported. The suspect drove away after the confrontation.

Police say the victims and suspect are not related.

An hour later, Igor Kenk was arrested and charged with assault with a weapon and two counts of assault.

According to the article, Igor’s supposed to be under house arrest and isn’t allowed to step outside unless he’s accompanied by one of his three sureties, who’d collectively posted CAD$15,000 in bail for him. Those three people may have been Igor’s last friends in the city, and after this stunt, he might not have them to lean on.