Ottawa police are investigating after a child was left inside a Mechanicsville apartment building with a dead body.
Police say they were called to the 100 block of Burnside Avenue on Wednesday around 11.a.m. When they arrived they found a two-year-old boy inside the same unit as the body of a deceased woman, which neighbours say is the child’s mother.
A woman living next door told CTV she had not heard any sound coming from her neighbours unit since Saturday.
“She had her toddler in there, he was a cute little guy… if maintenance didn’t go into the apartment to check on the smoke detectors, I don’t know what would have happened,” said Marcy Chabot.
Police say the child is safe and being cared for.
An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of death. Police say they will not know how long the body was inside the unit until results are in.
On Thursday, an officer remained at the scene outside the unit. Police say foul play is not suspect but the investigation is ongoing.
Ottawa Community Housing, which operates the building, was unable to comment on the ongoing investigation. In a statement to CTV spokesperson Stéphane Giguère said “we are deeply saddened by the incident and will continue to work closely with our partners to provide support for tenants that may require assistance dealing with the event.”
