Man faces homicide charges after death of woman and 2 children on Montreal’s South Shore

A 36-year-old man has been charged in Longueuil, Que., with two counts of first-degree murder and one of second-degree murder in connection with the deaths of a mother and her two children on Montreal’s South Shore .

The first-degree murder charges relate to the children, aged two and five, who died in Brossard, Que., over the weekend, according to court documents. The second degree murder charge is linked to the death of their mother, Synthia Bussières, 38.

The man, Mohamad Al Ballouz, is also expected to face arson charges.

According to Longueuil police, Al Ballouz was charged from his hospital bed on Monday by telephone. The statement said the victims are the man’s wife and their children.

The incident happened around 1 a.m. Sunday when authorities responded to a fire alarm at a residential building on St-Laurent Boulevard near St-Charles Street.

Firefighters found three unconscious victims in an apartment on the 12th floor. They were rushed to hospital where the woman was pronounced dead. Both children were in critical condition but died shortly thereafter.

The suspect was also in the apartment when authorities arrived and he was arrested. The man was injured and was taken to hospital for treatment.

Investigators questioned the man after being treated, police said. He remains detained.

Autopsies will be performed on the bodies of the victims to determine the exact causes of death, police said.

In addition, the investigation is continuing on site in Brossard in collaboration with forensic technicians. Longueuil police say the couple and their children were not known to police.