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Mother charged in toddler's death

Infant's body found in passenger seat of car parked in underground garage

Bob Mitchell, Staff Reporter, March 27, 2009

A 34-year-old Bolton mother has been charged in the slaying of her 18-month old child.

The toddler's body was found earlier today in a car parked in an underground garage of the Mississauga Executive Centre located directly across from Square One Shopping Centre.

The woman is to appear later this afternoon in a Brampton courtroom. She will be charged with first-degree murder.

The boy's body was discovered just before 8 a.m. after the accused called police, telling them where to locate her dead child, police say.

The woman was under investigation by the Children's Aid Society.

Police won't confirm a report that the child protection agency was about to take the deceased child and her two other children.

Her other children were located unharmed, police said.

"They're safe," Peel Const. Wayne Patterson said. "That was our main concern..."

The dead child was found in the passenger seat of a silver Honda CRV that was later towed from Level 1 of the four level parking garage.

It's the Region's sixth homicide of the year.

Police won't reveal how the child was slain or where the killing took place.

An autopsy was to be completed either later today or tomorrow.

Access to the employee parking levels is by security card only, an employee said.

Investigators are also expected to examine footage from security video surveillance cameras of the entrance and underground areas.

"There are several security features in this building," Patterson said. "We hope these features will tell us why here? There are a lot of questions that need to be answered."

About 5,000 people work in the office building, an employee said.

The underground was quickly cordoned off with yellow tape when officers arrived at the building.

Employees have been allowed to enter the building on foot but nobody has been allowed to drive their vehicles from the garage throughout most of today.

"It's still very early in the investigation and there is a lot of work to be done," Patterson said.

Forensic identification officers examined the vehicle at the scene before the vehicle was towed away as it was covered completely by a large white tarp blocking its features, including its licence plate.

Officers are canvassing the building to see if there is anybody who may have come into contact with the accused.