Roopesh Rajkumar charged with first-degree murder after death of 11-year-old daughter
41-year-old Roopesh Rajkumar is now facing first-degree murder charges following the death of his 11-year-old daughter, Riya Rajkumar.
According to Peel Regional Police, following Roopesh’s arrest this morning, authorities say there was a “medical concern” and he was taken to hospital. He has since been transported to a trauma centre, in police custody.
Once he is medically cleared by doctors, the legal process can begin.
On Thursday evening, Roopesh was arrested after an Amber Alert was issued around 11 pm during the search for Riya.
However, the search ended in the worst way possible. At approximately 12:30 am, Peel Police confirmed that Riya had been found dead in her father’s apartment in Brampton.
See also
- Missing 11-year-old in Amber Alert found dead in Brampton, father arrested
- [UPDATED] AMBER ALERT: Peel Police search for 11-year-old girl
- To every a**hole who complained about last night’s Amber Alert - it worked
This is the second homicide of the year for the Peel region.
Update: Roopesh Rajkumar has been located and arrested. Riya Rajkumar has been located deceased at a residence in #Brampton. Homicide and Missing Persons Bureau has taken carriage of this investigation.
— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPoliceMedia) February 15, 2019
Riya did not live with her father full-time but was dropped off at a Mississauga gas station at approximately 3 pm so Roopesh could take her out on her birthday.
Her mother had received concerning messages from Roopesh, that indicated he intended to hurt himself and their daughter.
Her mother then reported her missing to police after Riya failed to return at the agreed time of 6:30 pm.
While the Amber Alert did wake up many in the region, resulting in many complaints being posted on social media, it ended up being the reason the suspect’s vehicle was spotted and reported to police.
Communications officers with Peel police said the force had received a series of complaints from people in the region that the Amber Alert was issued at a late hour.
Our communications bureau is receiving numerous calls to 9-1-1, complaining about the late hour of the Amber Alert. As a direct result of someone receiving the alert, we were able to locate the suspect & his vehicle. The system works. Thank you to all those that called with tips.
— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPoliceMedia) February 15, 2019
“I can’t even begin to describe how disappointing and upsetting it is to read the comments, emails and calls to our communications bureau complaining about receiving an Amber Alert late at night,” wrote Const. Akhil Mooken on Twitter.
“I appreciate that a lot of people were sleeping, but the immediate need to locate the child outweighed the momentary inconvenience that some people encountered,” he continued.
“Tragically this incident did not have the outcome we were all hoping for but the suspect was located as a direct result of a citizen receiving the alert and calling 911. The system works.”