A Canadian Armed Forces member suffered severe spinal injuries after he was allegedly attacked by an adult woman and a preteen boy as he supervised a group of cadets who were selling Remembrance Day poppies, police said.
Royal Canadian Air Cadets commanding officer Ken Kunkel, 59, was looking after a group of young air cadets who were selling Remembrance Day poppies at the Centre Mall in Hamilton, Ontario, when the alleged assault happened on Sunday around 1.45pm.
Hamilton police said Kunkel had confronted two boys who approached the air cadets and blasted an airhorn into their ears.
Kunkel followed the youngsters, 11 and 12, into the Mandarin restaurant when Estela Quintanilla, 48, entered the spat and began attacking him, the Toronto Sun reported.
He fell to the ground and one of the youths allegedly proceeded to hit him multiple times, as well. Police said Quintanilla, of Hamilton, and the youngsters fled the restaurant before law enforcement arrived.
Kunkel's son, Christopher Kunkel, said his father underwent a 'very risky' same-day spinal surgery after the alleged attack and had managed to regain some mobility.
'However he is still bedridden and cannot even sit up without extensive assistance,' Christopher told CTV News.
'What he loves doing is helping out the cadets and being with his grandchildren and we are fighting tirelessly to make sure he can get back to that,' Kunkel's son added.
Royal Canadian Air Cadets commanding officer Ken Kunkel, 59, suffered severe spinal injuries after being allegedly attacked by Estela Quintanilla, 48, and a boy, 12
Quintanilla was found and arrested on Monday morning, then charged with aggravated assault. Hamilton police confirmed her identity to the Daily Mail on Friday
Christopher claimed that his father's legs buckled after being attacked by Quintanilla and that he 'immediately los[t] function.'
The youngsters were found at a nearby retail store by police officers who had received reports of a separate and unrelated disturbance, according to the outlet.
Hamilton police arrested the 12-year-old and charged him with aggravated assault and level-one assault.
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The youngster has not been publicly identified, and his name cannot be published in Canada under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Police told the Daily Mail the 11-year-old was too young to be charged with a criminal offense and had determined he was 'not involved on the same level' as the other boy after reviewing surveillance footage.
Investigators found Quintanilla on Monday morning and she was subsequently taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault.
Quintanilla is set to appear in court on February 4, 2027.
Hamilton police confirmed her identity to the Daily Mail on Friday morning.
Police constable Trevor McKenna said the youngsters caused 'quite a disturbance' before Kunkel confronted them.
He said the air cadets who saw the alleged attack would be marked by the violent incident while they were 'donating their time for our country, for a great purpose.'
'It's something that's going to last with these air cadets for the rest of their lives,' McKenna said. 'They witnessed the incident, and a member of their service has now been injured for life.'
Kunkel, a married father-of-two with four grandchildren, underwent spinal surgery after the alleged attack
Kunkel had followed the youngsters, 11 and 12, into the Mandarin restaurant (pictured) after they blasted an airhorn into the ears of air cadets selling Remembrance Day poppies
Kunkel was found inside the restaurant by emergency crews and was rushed to a local hospital.
Police said he suffered life-altering injuries as a result of the alleged attack, according to the outlet.
Kunkel's son, Christopher, said his dad was in 'good spirits' and was 'very eager to talk to his grandchildren and let them know that things are going to be okay.'
He recalled how Kunkel walked his four grandchildren around the neighborhood on the day before Halloween.
'He was walking six or seven blocks and none of us ever expected that it would be one of the last times he was walking around with his grandchildren,' Christopher said.
A GoFundMe started by a family friend said Kunkel is a married father-of-two.
The fundraiser is looking to raise money to help support Kunkel's family. As of Friday morning, about CAD $167,560 (USD $118,800) had been raised.
Kunkel, pictured with his family, was discovered inside the restaurant by emergency crews and taken to a local hospital with what police said were life-altering injuries
The alleged attack on Kunkel also prompted reactions from Canadian politicians.
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre said Tuesday he was 'disgusted' by the alleged attack, adding that Kunkel 'should have gone home safely to his family.'
I am disgusted by the brutal attack on a Canadian Armed Forces member supervising young cadets selling poppies in Hamilton.
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) November 3, 2026
He stepped in after the cadets were assaulted. He was left with injuries police describe as life-altering.
He was helping young Canadians honour those who…
Ontario legislature Speaker Donna Skelly said Thursday that Kunkel was specifically a Royal Canadian Air Cadet commanding officer from the 826 Griffin Squadron.
Deeply saddened to hear about the attack on a Royal Canadian Air Cadet commanding officer from the 826 Griffin Squadron in Binbrook while supervising a poppy campaign.
— Donna Skelly (@SpeakerSkelly) November 5, 2026
My thoughts are with Ken Kunkel and his loved-ones as he recoversfrom life-altering injuries as a result of… pic.twitter.com/gfiPtUAxKa
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