Police watchdog looks into actions of Victoria officers over toddler’s death

VICTORIA – British Columbia’s police watchdog has launched a preliminary investigation into the case of a toddler found dead in a Victoria hotel room.

Victoria Police responded to reports of a distraught woman screaming in a (Douglas St.) hotel early Saturday and found a 19-month-old child without vital signs.

Police revealed on Sunday they spoke twice with the mother the day before the incident.

Police say they received calls from citizens who were concerned about the woman’s behaviour, which allegedly included loud praying inside a Victoria mosque.

B.C.’s Independent Investigations Office will proceed with a full investigation if it finds a connection between officers’ conduct and the child’s death.

The BC Coroners Service and the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit are investigating the cause of the child’s death.