A 25-year-old Newmarket man is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of his 61-year-old mother last night.
York Regional Police officers responded Jan. 5 to a family domestic dispute at a residence near Gorham and Leslie streets, where they found a woman with life-threatening injuries and arrested a male suspect on the scene.
York Region Paramedic Services transported the woman to the hospital, where she was pronounced deceased, according to police.
Police have also charged the man with arson causing damage to property.
The incident occurred at a residence on Geer Terrace. Neighbour Diane Borden, who saw the victim carried away on a stretcher, said it was an alarming incident, with the large number of emergency vehicles on the scene. She said she is considering moving from her home of 24 years.
“It’s scary,” she said. “There’s a lot of young kids in this area, lots of families. So how do you feel safe?”
Police said they would not release the name of the suspect or victim of the domestic homicide to protect the identities of family members who were witnesses. Media relations officer Const. Laura Nicolle said a coroner has not yet determined the cause of the victim's death.
Witnesses reported a heavy police presence, with more than a dozen emergency vehicles responding. Police were still on the scene the morning after for the investigation, with police tape remaining around a house on the street.
It is not the first time police have attended the area, according to multiple residents who spoke to NewmarketToday. Several neighbours said a larger response occurred at the same property several months ago, with a SWAT team involved. They said a person was arrested at the time, though none indicated there was anyone taken away by ambulance.
Nicolle would not confirm an earlier arrest at the residence, and said police do not give out information about past calls.
Geer Terrace resident Joy Taylor said she was expecting something to happen.
“I knew something was going to happen eventually,” she said. “I was just waiting for somebody to get hurt.”
While York Regional Police reported no domestic violence-related homicides in 2019 and 2020, there were at least two in 2021, according to Nicolle, adding the data from last year has not been finalized.
Domestic incidents have also increased, with 1,869 incidents with charges laid in 2020 compared to 1,688 in 2019.
Yellow Brick House executive director Lorris Herenda said the gender-based violence organization has been feeling the impact of increased domestic violence amidst the pandemic. She said calls tend to decrease during lockdowns, but as soon as those lift, they see a surge of women attempting to flee dangerous violence.
“We need to be able to start educating youth about dating violence and healthy relationships,” she said, adding the justice system also faltered in dealing with perpetrators amidst the struggles of the pandemic. “We also need to really change our justice system, the way we treat perpetrators. We know during the pandemic, most perpetrators charged were let go.”
She added that women can face challenges finding local shelter space and getting out of a home before a domestic violence perpetrator is released on bail or peace bond.
Neighbour Nadezda Lardina said she did not know the family well, but was casually acquainted with the mother who was “very nice.” She said she was questioned by police but did know much about what happened.
“It’s not good, but honestly I can’t say I have ever had issues (with the family),” she said.
Josef Vasquez said she understood the reason behind the police response, but it is difficult to see that heavy police presence in her neighbourhood.
“I know it was for safety, but it’s still much,” she said.
