U.K. police arrest Canadian mother in infants’ deaths

Felicia Boots, 34, detained by police in $1.94M home

ACanadian woman living in the United Kingdom is under arrest after her two young children were found dead in their upscale London home.

Felicia Boots’s husband, investment banker Jeff Boots, also from Canada, discovered the bodies of their 10-week-old boy and 14-monthold daughter when he returned home from work on Wednesday night, The Telegraph reported.

Their mother, a 34-year-old Canadian jewelry designer, was detained by police at the family’s $1.94-million semi-detached home.

The two babies were pronounced dead at the scene, a Scotland Yard spokesman told the newspaper.

She was arrested on “suspicion of murder.”

“Detectives from the child-abuse investigation command are leading the investigation, and inquiries continue into the full circumstances of the incident,” Scotland Yard told The Telegraph.

The mother is believed to have attempted suicide before her arrest, according to the report.

Jeff Boots, who had previously worked at BMO Capital Markets, was heard wailing in the street shortly before paramedics and police arrived at their five-bedroom home.

“I heard him, he was obviously upset, it was not really sobbing, but I don’t want to say what I heard,” a neighbour told The Telegraph.

“It was just after 7 p.m. and the man I heard had a North American accent. I had never seen the mother as they had only just moved in.”

Another neighbour, Oliver Jones, told The Telegraph that about 40 emergency workers, including police and ambulance officers, arrived at the family’s home that same night.

Felicia Boots was led out of the home about two hours later, he added.

“She seemed very placid, she was very calm,” Jones told The Telegraph. “She walked to the police car. She was not in handcuffs.”

It’s such a tragedy, I can’t believe it

JACKIE COOK, A NEIGHBOUR OF FELICIA AND JEFF BOOTS

The family moved from Canada to the U.K. a few years ago. Jeff Boots had also previously worked for the Royal Bank of Canada.

RBC would not comment on personnel matters, but a spokeswoman said: “Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Jeff and his family.”

Some of the Boots’s neighbours told the London Evening Standard that the couple had moved in to the three-storey home just recently.

“It’s such a tragedy, I can’t believe it,” said Jackie Cook, 52.

“Last night there were police swarming everywhere. There were ambulances and police cars all along the road. I think they only moved a couple of weeks ago.”

Forensic officers left the Boots home with bags of potential evidence, including children’s clothing and documents, The Telegraph reported.

Felicia Boots was a trained hair stylist but launched her own jewelry company, Pink Tangerine, after moving to the U.K.

“Being a hair stylist is my first and foremost passion, but as an artist it’s magical to experience different creative outlets,” she wrote on her website.

“I’ve always had a desire to tap into the world of fashion and accessories and so Pink Tangerine was born.

“Some small business ventures, design courses, life experiences, and advice from some important people in my life have helped me to grow and cultivate my desire to give some beauty back to the world by way of my creative passions.”

Peter Kyriacou, the owner of Peterpenny’s Hair and Beauty in London, described her as “a very special artist” in a testimonial on Boots’s jewelry website.