Police seek man accused of killing three in Portage la Prairie, torching house
Trevis McLeod charged with 3 counts of 2nd-degree murder, arson, as well as assault the same day
Police are asking people in Winnipeg to be on the lookout for a man accused of killing a mother and her two children in Portage la Prairie early on Sunday morning.
Officers are actively looking for Trevis McLeod, who was last seen in Winnipeg on Monday and Tuesday, RCMP said in a news release on Tuesday.
Emergency crews were called to a home on Seventh Street SE in Portage la Prairie — about 75 kilometres west of Winnipeg — at about 1 a.m. after reports of a fire.
Once the fire crews managed to put out the fire, three people were found dead inside the home.
Police now say the victims have been identified as a 32-year-old woman and her two children, a six-year-old girl and a three-year-old boy.
All three people died of injuries not associated with the fire and their deaths are considered homicides, RCMP said.
Police have charged McLeod, 50, with arson and three counts of second-degree murder. Const. Julie Courchaine said in an email he was known to the family.
McLeod was arrested the day of the fire for an assault that occurred after the discovery of the three bodies and released the next day, Courchaine said.
"Additional information and evidence gathered since his release allowed the Manitoba RCMP to lay formal charges this afternoon," she said.
Court records show McLeod has a previous criminal record with charges dating back to 2002 that includes an assault conviction from 2015.
RCMP believe McLeod is still in the Winnipeg area.
He is considered dangerous and should not be approached. Anyone who may have seen McLeod or has information on his whereabouts is asked to call 911 immediately.