OTTAWA, CANADA — Ottawa police have charged a 35-year-old man who is an immigrant from Ethiopia with second-degree murder after a woman named Aster Kassa was fatally stabbed Saturday during a domestic dispute in a Riverside Drive apartment building.
Tamrat Gebere, the man who stands accused of stabbing the mother to death, will appear in court on Monday.
The victim’s baby girl was taken away by the Children’s Aid Society after a police officer held her under the shade of a tree as her mother’s death was investigated as Ottawa’s seventh homicide of the year.
Abdul Awad, the owner of a convenience store in the apartment building, said he saw the victim and her baby just half an hour before police officers came rushing into the building.
He said he will never forget the young mother, who he described as being in her mid to late 20s, and her baby.
“Never in my whole life have I seen someone so concentrated on just their child like that: not 99-per-cent concentrated; she was 100-per-cent concentrated on her baby,” he said. “She held her so close.”
Awad said he was taking a break from work when he sat down across from the victim and her baby in a lounge area in the apartment’s lobby.
He told the victim he thought her daughter was cute, but, he said, the victim didn’t respond.
She just continued to hug and kiss her baby, he said Sunday night.
“It looked like she knew something was going to happen to her and she wanted to spend all her time holding and loving her daughter.”
Awad said he saw police bring the baby, who he said looked to be about four to six months old, outside after they responded to her mother’s stabbing. He said he gave them water for the girl.
He said he is shocked and saddened by what happened.
“It’s a tragic thing. She obviously loved that baby so much and now she is gone,” he said. “If I remember one thing from my entire life, I will remember this, the first and last time I saw her.”
Awad said he had seen Gebere “once or twice” in the building before and that he seemed like a “quiet” guy.
Police could not say whether Gebere is the father of the baby, but said the victim and the accused were in a relationship.
“We’re not talking about a hitman situation here,” said Staff Sgt. Randy Wisker with the major crime unit. “It’s a very specific thing between these people.”
Police said Sunday they will not release the victim’s age or identity until they have notified her family. It is believed the victim had previously lived in Toronto, but her family lives outside of Canada.
An autopsy will be conducted today to officially confirm the cause of the woman’s death.
Police were called to the
24-storey building at 1541 Riverside Dr. about 4:15 p.m. Saturday receiving a 911 call from someone who does not live in the building.
Police said the woman was stabbed shortly before they received the call.
Police said the accused was arrested in the victim’s seventh-floor apartment without incident.
The day before the woman was killed, Sandy Medeiros said she heard yelling from what she believes was the victim’s apartment directly below.
“I’m sitting here feeling very, very guilty,” Medeiros said. “I was home the whole time as someone beneath us got (killed).”
Medeiros said she heard the baby girl crying off and on all day Friday after the arguing had stopped, but she didn’t hear any adults.
— Ellen Mauro, and Meghan Hurley | The Ottawa Citizen
16 thoughts on “Ethiopian man in Ottawa stabs a mother of baby girl to death”
Does Canada have a death penalty?…I hope he is not the father of the little girl so that…if he is the father, then it is difficult…may be the little girl will be better off without a father than a bad one…I don’t know…
A
Sad! what is going on in the ethiopian community abroad? is this thing contagious now? what’s going on with our ethiopian brothers these days?
may this lady rest in Peace and her child find someone who will take care of her like her deceased mother used to.
Very sad story! Once again another insecure, demented, psychopath taking the life of a young woman. He took away the most important person in that child’s life. He changed that little girl’s life forever. I hope the precious little girl has grandparents to raise her with love and affection she deserves. My heartaches for that little girl, I know in firsthand the horrible empty feelings growing up without a mother. Nothing in the world compares to the unconditional love of a mother.
This is a very sad story, I wish we knew more about their relationship to understand what went wrong.
We Ethiopians abroad need to support each other to avoid such a tragedy. We should get the help to understand that there is a life after a disagreement or a sour relationship. There is always a choice, but one has to learn to make the right one.
Taking someone else’s life is the worst act one can do. There are other ways to resolve an issue before resorting to senseless violence.
Killing can not be justified in any way. Having said this, i just want to say few things as to why this has become quite common across Ethiopians Diasporas. Both men and women have been responsible for many of the cases like this(No offense out there, am not justifying killing here)
1.Jealousy, lack of managing anger, losing hope and betrayal from the other side are the main reasons associated to men involved in murder.
2. Most Ethiopian girls lack the essence of what a human being mean. They are all after money, fame and do not value their relationships as they should. After letting men spend their money for them and even for their parents, they will damp them and jamp to a new boat make the usual tricks with some one else. This crippled down men to the ground and encourages them for a revenge (which is the poor delight of little mind). Please women, be responsible for your actions and act humanely. Every thing you do will all come back to you. If you have serious issues, talk openly with your men and make your wise and smart decisions.
This kind of heinous crime perpetrated by Ethiopian on Ethiopian will be on the rise as the economic situation stays on the decline. It is happening in every ethnic community. The degree of the brutality in the way the crime is committed will be more repulsive in the community such as ours particularly among those who left their country since the late eighties more so since the 90’s. Some of them had to live through the most turbulent period of the society which turned them into monsters. They may stay calm after they come here until a point they think it is the end of the road for them such as a dissolution of a relationship or sheer jealousy. These two factors are the main ones that trigger the beast in them. Canada does not have the death penalty but I hope they let this Attila the Hun rot in jail.
***I totally share the point of views of almaz and Ittu Aba farda above. they are 100% right. May God save us from such ugly deeds!***
#5,
There is no good enough excuse in the world for any man to take a woman’s life, regardless the woman is found to be a gold digger, or even a prostitute—there is such thing called Divorce or walk away with dignity. The majority men cheat, and they leave their wives or girlfriends with a heartbreak, but very seldom we hear about an Ethiopian woman taking another man’s life. Only a weak, irrational hotheaded, unstable, insecure, arrogant, half-witted, lunatic, devil-possessed man kills a mother of his child. That little girl will never be the same. She is too young now to remember the incident, but in time she will know what happened to her mother and she will always carry that empty feeling for the rest of her life.
My deepest sympathy goes to the victim’s parents and family.
A very sad story. I am hearing such stories repeating time and again in our community, what’s gotten to us?
My condolence to the family of the Aster Kassa
R.I.P.
she is my beloved aunt i don’t what to say how could a man killed a mother of his own daughter , you know guys he did it infront of the kid. For God’s sake what level of cruelity it that? we are stunned the familiy is so down and sadened
May God Rest her soul in peace.
I dont care what the motive might have been. No one has the right of taking some one elses life be it because of jeolousy, infidality, hate or any thing elese.
I hope he rote in hell for leting the poor child be with out a mother.
I can only imagin what the poor mother gone through when he stab her to death. What the little child was doing the course of this crule murder of her own mother. What will be the after math of this tragedy for the little child for the short and long term?
Oh Lord! I just hope that he face the consquenses of his crulity.
This is very tragic! I feel very sorry for the little child, may be no one would know to what problems they had in their relationship, but taking some once life is very evil spirited action. No body’s house is perfect, we all have problems and disputes in our families, and because we are different individuals and we have unique approaches and ways to things in our households it does not mean we have to turn in to enemies and holding hatred & abhorrence on each other. Sometimes it is wiser to walk away from some disputes specially if it is heated and no solution is coming. If you are a married couple remember your wedding day the most romantic and important day in your life, and remember your wedding vows the “for better or for worse. “ And remember your culture the advice from your mother and father the family value. Our parents back home stay together married for 40, 50, 60 years even more till their death. And especially to the men what is happening to us here? The day we married and take our wives from their parent hands we are responsible for their safety, we have to provide for them and for the family. We all are immigrated here because of situations back home and we see many glittering around us but please let’s try to live our lives according to our budget and need. Please let us not try to be like our friend or our neighbor. We have to have the down to earth “TEHTNA” character in life. Take care!
R.I.P Ms. Aster Kassa
I feel sorry for the whole family.
jealousy and money are the main cause for brutal and heinous violences in every home.I believe jealousy is lack of self confidence and when it comes to money it’s mutual understanding specially at this time of economical crunch.
Most of us compete each other even in churches while we are dependent one way or the other on government assistances.It’s sad our level of conflict management is extremely very low.we got no clue about simple things like “restraining orders” council a psychiatrist etc.A verbal assault today is gone turn into physical brawl tomorrow.
Guys deal your problems right away I mean,take it or leave it,period.If you keep covering up problems every day it is gone change into sad realty show and pop up on the front pages of news papers the next day.
I am deeply saddend for the loss of life and will always pray for the parentless baby.
walkly.
Am very sorry of this incident.
What is the problem of some men, how cruel are they to do such kind things to their girl friend and wife? I really don’t have word to say about this evil deed ,Even if i didn’t know the reason why he did, while he has a lot of decision to make with out taking someones life no matter what he is upset jealousy or blabla to his beloved wife. even this is against our culture,what kind of image did this man put to the other( white) people?Do they will have a good image about the other Ethiopian men who remained there? Anyway we need to sit down and think about it, i really know that some men who will support or agree emotionally about such kind of things,please just imagine if this girl is your Mother or your sister what do you feel?Am very sorry of the little girl who remained without MUM AND DAD.Pole sana! pole sana! Humnasa from Nairobi
R.I.P TO YOUR MOTHER
I feel sorry for the whole family especialy for the cute baby girl please our men befor u do something think twice it is not our culture killing each other so if u don’t no how to manage life or if u r not strong enough don’t make a dicision to get married stay the way u r LOVE NEED PATIENT??? MY condolence the whole family