A father charged in the death of his 11-year-old daughter remains in hospital due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Peel Regional Police.
Riya Rajkumar was found dead in the basement of her father’s Brampton home in the area of Queen Street and Highway 410 on Thursday night following the issuance of an Amber Alert.
The Amber Alert was issued after the young girl’s mother told police she had not been returned home at the expected time after having been out with her father to celebrate her birthday.
The mother told investigators the 41-year-old father had made comments indicating that he planned to harm himself and their daughter.
Roopesh Rajkumar was arrested by Ontario Provincial Police in a high-risk takedown near Orillia shortly after midnight Friday. Officers said they were able to locate and arrest the man as a result of information provided by people who received the Amber Alert.
He is currently in hospital suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The extent of his injuries is not known.
Police said Roopesh Rajkumar is in the custody of Ontario Correctional Services and his first court appearance is pending him being medically cleared to attend. He is facing a charge of first-degree murder.
“He was arrested by OPP and at that point we had to go there to take custody of him and when we did that our officers then noted that there was a medical issue and of course they were concerned as something didn’t seem right so he was then transported to a local hospital where they identified a further issue and at that point he is then transported to the trauma centre,” Const. Danny Martini with Peel Regional Police told CP24 on Sunday. “During that time they identified that there is something wrong and that he has this self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
The province’s Special Investigations Unit was contacted in relation to this case but has decided not to invoke its mandate.
Funeral being held for 11-year-old girl
A memorial page by Lotus Funeral and Cremation Centre said the young girl will be laid to rest on Wednesday.
The funeral is expected to begin at 9 a.m.
It is unclear if the funeral will be open to the public.
A visitation service is expected to be held on Tuesday from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
