A severely disabled teenage girl has died in mysterious circumstances, with her mother telling police the tragedy was sparked by a daytime robbery attempt by ski-masked intruders in business suits.
"It does seem puzzling. It certainly is a unique investigation we've undertaken," Toronto Police Detective-Sergeant Frank Skubic told reporters during a news conference Monday.
"We're keeping an open mind to all possibilities in this case," the detective said. " ... Right now we believe the home invasion did take place as the mother described."
The victims' identities are being withheld as police investigate.
Emergency crews discovered the dying 16-year-old girl in the Scarborough residence after the mother called 911 around 11:30 a.m. Saturday. They arrived in time to take her to hospital and put her on life-support, but she did not survive.
An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday. Though the girl did not suffer any visible injuries, she was fragile.
"The child suffers from a severe mental and physical disability, and was located without vital signs," Det. Skubic said, declining to specify the specific nature of the disabilities.
He did say the teenager was prone to seizures and also that she was mentally alert enough to know whether "something distressful" was taking place in her home.
The girl's 40-year mother told police she answered a knock at the door, which occurred approximately 10 minutes before the 911 call was placed.
The mother told police that, when she opened the door, in walked two men in gloves, suits, overcoats and ski masks. One of the intruders is said to have brandished a handgun.
"The men demanded an unspecified package be produced," said Det. Skubic, adding that he does not know what the gunmen were looking for.
But with that directive, police were told, one man "escorted mother through all the rooms in the house, opening drawers, cupboards and closets in search of this unknown package," he said.
The accomplice is said to have stayed behind as the search was being conducted. The severely disabled teenager was "immobile" in a seated position on the living room couch.
Almost as suddenly as the search is said to have began, it ended.
"The men verbalized that they must have the wrong house and fled the scene," Det. Skubic explained, and that was when the mother told police she ran to her daughter and "discovered that the child was not breathing."
Police are treating the teenager's death as a "suspicious death," not a homicide. They have identified no suspects.
The girl's father and siblings were away from the house when she died but police say they are getting good co-operation from the family.
Police canvassed the townhouse complex at 150 Burrows Hall Blvd. for surveillance videos, but have come up blank.
Neighbours have been speaking to police. "We have received some information that may support suspicious persons being in the neighbourhood," Det. Skubic said, "however, certainly not enough to make an identification at this time."