Tragic mistake led to death

Teen visited girl when parents out Fearing discovery, he fell 15 storeys

A sudden, tragic decision cost a 16- year- old boy his life when he decided to try to lower himself out a 15th- floor apartment with bedsheets to avoid punishment by a female friend’s parents. The boy, who is not being identified by police, didn’t want to get in trouble for visiting a girl while her parents weren’t home Saturday evening.

“ They weren’t doing anything wrong. There was no illegal activity, no drugs, no alcohol. They were just hanging out,” said Det. Steve Peconi.

While the girl’s parents were knocking on the door at the apartment at 15 Cougar Court near Markham Rd. and Eglinton Ave. E., the boy and another friend tied bedsheets and started to make their way out a 15thfloor bedroom window. Within moments, one boy plummeted to the ground and was fatally injured. The other was not harmed.

“ They are good kids from good families. They just made a very bad choice,” said Peconi. The incident is a true tragedy, he added, his voice breaking.

Neighbours said the girl lives with her parents and a brother in the corner unit. The parents are strict with their teenaged children, a neighbour said.

Yesterday, the girl’s mother said when she and her husband arrived home about 7: 30 p. m. the deadbolt was on the door.

“ I knew my daughter was in here. I was banging the door, yelling and screaming and no one is opening the door. So I went and called the super,” said the mother, who refused to give her name. When the superintendent couldn’t open the door, the mother phoned the police. The woman said she has talked to her daughter about the incident but declined to speak about it any further.

Divya Garg, 19, and her mother live on the same floor and were walking back from shopping when they heard a scream.

“ We were not sure what was happening, but suddenly three or four feet from us something fell,” said Garg.

“ I ran near, and I saw that it was a person. So I immediately called 911 to tell them someone had fallen off,” Garg said.

Garg and her mother stayed with the boy until police arrived.