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Many notorious incidents made headlines in 2013 Mow infonnan'on on York Region's (Op 5 crime stories can be found on our uvbsite. yorkrvgionrom. including photographs. follow- up stories and video. l. Slingerland: Rarely have York Region nesid’ents seen such a spectacular fall from grace as the case of Dr. John ()wen Slingâ€" eriand. A well-respected member of the com- munity and. at one point. the region's chief medical officer. Dr. Slingerland was one of Mount Albert's most loved sons. However. three years after allegations emerged that he was a pedophile and the crimes were committed against. among others. his best friend‘s sons. he has been convicted of the crimes and sentenced to two years in prison. The Newinarket street that beam his name could soon have a new name. He is cun'entiy appeaiing the conviction. York Region has witan two deaths at unlicensed daycares this year along with two drowning of children younger than 11. None of the cases have been resolved. In two of the incidents. Roben Rob- inson and Eva Ravikovitch. lawsuits are ongoing. In two cases. including that of a four year-old who drowned at the Pavilion Fit- ness Centre in 'I‘homhill. a coroner's report isndue imminently. A coroner is also looking into the case of Ms Ravikovitch and a nine-month-old baby who died at an unregulated daycare in Markham. 3. Macy “Men: Afier being adopted out of Cuba and brought to Maple by Vaughan businessman Ronald Rosario DeFrancesco. Ms Yulien was subjected to years of sexual. mental and physical abuse The provincial'govemment continues to discuss ways to improve legislation around licensing daycaljes. 2.0éathéofcfifldrenlnotherscare: BY IEREMY GRIMALDI igrimaldi@)'rntgu)rn ' Afier slie finally pressed charges. Mr. lkl-‘rancesco fled to Italy and then to Argentina. by her adoptive father. His son from another marriage infonned York police of his whereabouts and he was eventually arrested and brought back to face Canadian justice. which amounted to two years probation. After fighting to have a court-imposed publication ban mmoved. Mercy set up a charity to hyelp fellow victims and told her story to York Region Media (imup. Since then. the new mother ié training to become a lawyer and regularly speaks on beth of Unjth Way. 4. Mann strife: her since reputed Mon- treal mob boss Vito Rizzutto was released from prison? the media has been abuzz about the possibility the mob war that has caused so many deaths in Montreal may come to woodbridge. Although Sam (lalautti was killed in a mob-style hit outside a stag party in Wood- bridge in luly. the much-hyped war is not yet visible. at least in public. Police have yet (6 solve Mr. (lalautti‘s shooting and continue to seek witnesses. Meanwhile. another Vaughan man with ties to the mafia. Carmelo Bmzesse. was arrested in August. 5. l‘entunyl: When Oxycontin. an infa- mous opioid. was altered to make it halder for drug addicts to abuse. speculation was rife that heroin would replace the phamia- ceutical among users. Although that may be occurring. the overwhelming choice in York Region appegrs to havg begn Frenrtarnylf Recently. the'police announced a bust of 13 people and 140 charges. but the problem persists» 7 ’It has already claimed thé lives of five people in phe region. 201 3 NEWSMAKERS Dr. lohn Owen Slingerland leaves court with his lawyer. Faisal Joseph. Toronto defence law- yer Brian Greenspan has filed an appeal to Dr. Slingerland‘s conviction;