Two children found dead in an east Edmonton apartment suite last week were stabbed to death, Edmonton police confirmed on Monday.
The bodies of two young girls — ages six months and three years old — were found in an apartment suite in the area of 73 Street and 80 Avenue on Wednesday night.
Police were called to the area at around 5:30 p.m. for a domestic violence call. They were told that a woman, who appeared to have been assaulted, was being chased by a man.
The woman was in distress with serious injuries, police said. She was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Police said Monday that the woman remained in hospital, recovering “from wounds sustained during the assault.”
At around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, police located the suspect, naked and “acting erratically.” Police said the man had broken into a garage in the area of 73 Street and 80 Avenue.
Watch below: Ongoing Global News coverage after two young girls were found dead in an east Edmonton apartment suite
Court documents show Ashton Brian Lafleche, 29, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Mackenzie Petawaysin and Mary Lafleche Petawaysin.
He’s also charged with assault causing bodily harm to the children’s mother, Tamara Petawaysin, and breach of probation for failing to comply with an order on Oct. 31 to have no contact with her.
Police confirmed Monday the man was the biological father of the youngest child.
Over the weekend, a memorial including flowers, candles and stuffed animals continued to grow outside the apartment building where the girls were found dead.