Murder of two children in Laval | The accused father, a neighborhood in turmoil

The father of two young children found dead in a Laval home on Monday night has been charged with the first degree murder of his two children. They would have died poisoned and drowned, according to our sources.

Delphine Belzile
The Press

Anzel Arora, 13, and Aaron Arora, 10, were murdered Monday evening in their home on rue Lauzon, in Sainte-Dorothée, according to our information. When the police arrived on the scene, they discovered the two unresponsive children as well as a man who was lying at the scene.

The suspect, Kamaljit Arora, 45, is the father of the victims. The man is not known to police and has no criminal or civil records. His appearance was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, but was postponed to the next day due to his state of health. He was still in the hospital. The man is also charged with assaulting his wife. According to the denunciation, he would have tried to strangle her.

The Service de police de la Ville de Laval (SPL) received a call Monday evening around 6 p.m. concerning the murder of the two young children. They were said to have been poisoned and drowned in the upstairs bathroom, and at least one of them had his hands tied, according to police sources familiar with the matter. When the police arrived on the scene, there was water on the floor and the bathtub was full.

The victims were immediately taken to hospital, where they were confirmed dead.

Two family members would have first discovered the children unconscious before the arrival of the authorities, according to our information. The father allegedly tried to strangle one person, while the other immediately sought help and reported the matter to 911.

After killing his children, Mr. Arora allegedly attempted suicide by poisoning. The police found him in his home having difficulty breathing. Authorities confirmed on Tuesday that the father’s life was not in danger.

Everything points to a double murder followed by a suicide attempt. An investigation is underway and witnesses were interviewed by the authorities on Tuesday morning.

A surprised neighborhood

The day after the incident, the neighborhood was in shock. Several residents came to take a look at the Arora house, protected by a security perimeter all morning. Only two relatives entered discreetly to collect personal effects, without speaking to the media.

Hélène, a neighbor of the Arora family, came out of her house on Monday evening when she heard a woman crying and screaming outside. “It’s a big surprise that something like this happens in the neighborhood,” said the lady. Little known to the neighborhood, the family settled on Lauzon Street less than three months ago, she adds.

“We are all upside down,” laments Rina Giordano, who has lived on the street for 45 years. She remembers only two other police interventions that had marked her before in the area.

One of the children was a fifth grade student at the Pierre-Laporte neighborhood school, confirmed Annie Goyette, assistant director of communications at the Laval school service center. “There is a team of professionals who are on site today to support students and staff. The situation is taken care of, she says. It is certain that our thoughts go out to the family and loved ones. »

Tributes

All parents were made aware of the incident by the school administration on Tuesday morning. Some parents were surprised at the scale of the event, which took place in a rather quiet residential area, according to them. “I’ve been in the neighborhood for 16 years and I’ve never heard stories like that,” said Christine Lambrou, leaving her two young daughters in primary school.

Pouya Asna, neighbor of the Aroras and father of students at the school, agrees. ” It’s a tragedy. It is also scary for children. They ask a lot of questions,” he says.

In the evening, residents of the neighborhood followed one another in front of the house where the drama took place in order to leave flowers and other commemorative objects there while candles were lit on the steps.

“Shit, two children died. How [le père] could do that. There should be even more candles, ”testified Nick Tsafatinos, who came from Montreal to light a candle in front of the house. The children of his friends attended the same school as the two young victims.

“I had two little feathers that I came to leave like that. I did not know them, but it still marks, ”recognized another neighbor, holding back tears.

“These young people went to school where I myself had gone. It’s really sad, ”said Peter Utucuyan, alongside his young daughter.

Solidarity with victims

The deaths of Anzel and Aaron Arora represent the 18^e and 19^e homicides of the year in Quebec in a context of domestic violence, indicates Claudine Thibodeau, of the organization SOS Violence conjugale. It would also be the third incident involving the death of a child, she said. “It’s a lot for a small community like ours. »

SOS Violence conjugale is organizing a march next Saturday in solidarity with victims, an initiative of a survivor of domestic violence.

“Two children have tragically died, all of Laval is in mourning. My most sincere condolences to the relatives of the very young victims, ”shared Stéphane Boyer, mayor of Laval, on Twitter.

With Daniel Renaud, Mayssa Ferah and Vincent Larin, The Press