A 29-year-old man has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder after two children were found dead in an east Edmonton apartment suite Wednesday.
Court records show Ashton Brian Lafleche was charged in connection to the deaths of Mackenzie Petawaysin, and his daughter, Mary Lafleche Petawaysin.
Sources told CTV News the children are aged three years and seven months.
Lafleche was also charged with aggravated assault on the children’s mother, Tamara Petawaysin, and for violating a probation order dated Oct. 31 where he was prohibited from contacting her.
On late Wednesday afternoon, police responded to a report of an assault on a woman in the area of 79 Avenue and 71 Street.
Petawaysin was taken to hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries. She identified Lefleche as the man who assaulted her, and said they were in a relationship. Police said they knew the woman had young children, but the half-sisters were not found in an initial search of the apartment.
Three hours later, EPS received a report of an unclothed man who had broken into a garage at 73 Street and 80 Avenue at 8:30 p.m.
The owner of the home told CTV News the man was in a catatonic state.
Police arrested and questioned him on the whereabouts of the two children.
Officers then went back to the apartment and found the children concealed underneath “piles of various household items” in a storage room, Homicide Acting Staff Sgt. Terrie Affolder said at the EPS headquarters Friday morning.
The children’s autopsy was conducted Friday morning and the results are expected on Monday.
