Homicide detectives are investigating the death of a six-year-old girl, the attempted murder of her seven-year-old brother, and the attempted suicide of their father after an incident at an east-end hotel.

Officers were called to a townhouse north of the Howard Johnson hotel in the Warden Avenue and Sheppard Avenue East area at around 4 p.m. on Monday, neighbour Patrick McCutcheon told CTV Toronto.

The two children were expected home from school Monday afternoon. When they didn't turn up at home, their mother Cherly became concerned and called their school. School officials informed her that their father, Jason Adotey, had picked them up.

The mother became concerned and called police.

The investigation led police to a room on the hotel's second floor where the girl was found in "obvious distress," police said in a news release. The child was rushed to hospital where she was pronounced dead.

The girl's older brother and father were also found in medical distress when officers entered the hotel room.

They are both recovering in hospital.

Police still do not know how the little girl died and have remained tight-lipped about details surrounding the investigation.

Neighbours in the area tell CTV Toronto the tragedy has come as a shock.

“Oh my god, too much for me,” said Norm Wasserman, a resident in the area.

“Beautiful family, happy family, great neighbours, always saying hello,” said another resident.

Rudy Gafur, a neighbour who knew the family, told CTV Toronto that both Cherly and Jason Adotey were very well-educated.

“They’re very intelligent, very educated. They were educated in Australia, they both got masters degrees,” he said.

“It’s tough, it’s tough. Any human being, but a child? It’s just too difficult to comprehend,” Gafur added.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the flag at the children’s school was lowered.

Police are treating the case as a homicide but no charges have been laid.

An autopsy is scheduled to determine the cause of the girl's death.

Police are asking anyone with information to call investigators at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).

With a report from CTV Toronto’s John Musselman