Arrest in Szendrei case

Delta police have arrested an 18-year-old in the case of a Jewish Delta girl murdered last September. Laura Szendrei was attacked in a wooded section of North Delta’s Mackie Park, around 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 25, 2010. She died in hospital of her injuries the following day.

Although the Independent was unable to receive comment from Delta police before deadline Tuesday, there has been no indication that the attack was motivated because Szendrei was Jewish.

“We believe that she became a target because an opportunity presented itself,” Delta police spokesperson Sgt. Sharlene Brooks told a news conference Monday. “There is no evidence to support that she knew who he was.”

A number of assaults had taken place in the area during the previous several months, but Brooks told the news conference she could not speculate on whether there is any relation between Szendrei’s murder and previous violent incidents, which are still being investigated.

A statement released by Delta police described how the 15-year-old was on her way to meet friends to “take in the day’s activities on a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon. The injuries inflicted upon her were so severe she succumbed in the early hours of Sept. 26, 2010, leaving her family, friends and the community reeling in desperate grief and loss.” Police have not released any details about the cause of death, except calling it “blunt force trauma.”

The accused, who is a North Delta resident, was not previously known to police; he has been charged with first-degree murder under Section 235 (1) of the Criminal Code of Canada. He appeared in Surrey Provincial Court on Monday, and will remain in custody until his next appearance March 7.

The arrest occurred last Sunday morning and was announced at a news conference Monday. The Szendrei family had gathered Sunday to unveil Laura’s gravestone.

At the news conference Monday, Laura’s mother, Rachel Szendrei, expressed the family’s grief.

“Yesterday, our family shared a special time together at a ceremony unveiling Laura’s gravestone,” she said. “Something no parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, niece or sister should have to face or endure.

“Today, we are here with mixed emotions. We feel the same depth of loss, grief and heartbreak but today for the first time we also have a sense of relief.

“We know this road is far from over and there will be many more hills to climb as we have to continually deal with the fact that someone took Laura’s life.

“Daily we face the reality that Laura will not be in her room or at the dinner table; she won’t be at the school, the soccer field or at family celebrations – she is simply not coming back.

“There is no other way to describe our feelings about this arrest other than to say, we are thankful. We still have many questions unanswered. We don’t understand why this happened to our Laura. But we know the truth will come out in court. As hard as it will be to hear, we need to know the truth.

“We are grateful to our family, friends and this community,” she said. “We continue to be touched deeply by the outpouring of support, care and sympathy we have received from everyone in the community.

“To Laura’s friends, teammates, teachers acquaintances and people we don’t even know, thank you for all you continue to do to pay tribute to Laura. It brings us a sense of peace to know she will not be forgotten.

“Our daughter Laura, just 15 years old, was full of promise and potential.... [She] was taken before she could fulfil her hopes and dreams. Laura does leave a legacy with us, her smile, her kind heart, her laughter, feisty and spirited nature and her passion for life. We miss her dearly.”

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