Toronto police have identified the woman who died in a hospital weeks after she was set on fire on a Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) bus last month.
Nyima Dolma, 28, was onboard a TTC bus at Kipling Station at about 12:25 a.m. on June 17 when Tenzin Norbu, 33, allegedly poured a flammable liquid substance on her and set her ablaze.
Dolma was rushed to Sunnybrook Hospital after emergency crews extinguished the fire. She sustained life-threatening injuries and later died in the hospital on July 5 after more than two weeks on life support.
The suspect was arrested nearby after the incident and initially charged with attempted murder.
Police previously suspected the attack to be motivated by hate. Authorities confirmed there was no relationship between Dolma and Norbu in a news release on Monday.
Norbu’s charge has been upgraded to first-degree murder. He is also facing charges of assault with a weapon, common nuisance endangering the lives, safety or health of the public and mischief over $5,000 interfering with property.
“My sister lived a life of service to others and cared for many people,” Dawa, Dolma’s sister, wrote in a statement posted to a GoFundMe page initially intended to raise money for her treatment.
Dolma’s family has since updated the now-frozen fundraiser to say that the donations will be used for her funeral expenses.
“We will be using the donations for upcoming funeral expenses and healthcare costs to date,” the family wrote. “At this time, we ask everyone to kindly please respect our privacy. Thank you for understanding and again, for your generosity. We’ll never forget your kindness. To my sister, we love you and we miss you. We wish her soul to rest in peace.”
Featured Image via @TorontoPolice
