Saint-Leonard: Mother and son found dead in a vehicle, SQ and BEI investigating
Posted October 17, 2024 9:39 am.
Last Updated October 17, 2024 6:40 pm.
Two people were found dead in a vehicle overnight in the borough of Saint-Leonard.
Montreal police (SPVM) received a call to 911 around 12:30 a.m. Thursday about two people in a parked car in a commercial parking lot on Pascal-Gagnon Street.
When officers and first responders arrived, two people were unconscious and despite resuscitation attempts, they were pronounced dead at the scene. The police later confirmed their identities: Lucia Giovanna Arcuri, 76 and her son Giuseppe Arcuri, 59. The pair were initially reported missing earlier this week.
A man at the scene where the bodies were found who knew Giuseppe spoke to CityNews under condition of anonymity.
“It’s a fellow that I know from the past in the limousine service,” he said. “Good guy, very classy man, very smart man. I’m a bit surprised. I know that lately [he] had maybe some issues, but very surprised that this happened.”
The bystander said he saw the victim a few months ago — that the victim had sold a limousine to a friend of his.
“He was getting rid of his cars for some reason, maybe he had problems, I have no idea why. So he was sort of out of the business now lately.”
For now, authorities are calling the deaths “suspicious” as the bodies showed signs of violence.
A Café Milano regular
“It’s sad… he was a larger than life character,” said a Café Milano barista. “He was a very nice man who talked everybody, have a latte and hang out at night.”
#WATCH: Two people were found dead in a vehicle overnight in the borough of Saint-Leonard. On Wednesday, two people were reported missing in the area and the vehicle found in the parking lot matches the one police had been looking for.
— CityNews Montreal (@CityNewsMTL) October 17, 2024
READ: https://t.co/DjlYPY8xgX pic.twitter.com/obXRtAIJ7s
“Lately, we’ve seen each other here almost two or three times a week,” said a customer at Café Milano who had known Giuseppe for at least twenty years. “He used to come over here after he had to leave because he had to go see his mother, he used to live not too far from here.”
Parallel investigations
Montreal police turned over the investigation to the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI) — Quebec’s police watchdog — to investigate the SPVM intervention. The BEI and they would not comment further – saying it’s too early.
While the SQ — provincial police — launched a parallel criminal investigation. In a press release, the SQ says they are “tasked with analyzing the scene and clarifying the causes and circumstances surrounding these two deaths. The investigation is continuing.”
-With files from La Presse Canadienne
