Hamilton police identify Red Rose Motel stabbing victim
Hamilton police have identified a Brampton man who was fatally stabbed during a fight inside of a room at the Red Rose Motel Sunday morning in the city's east end.
In a release Monday, police said Christopher La Rose, 40, of Brampton is the city's 10th homicide victim of the year. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday in Toronto.
La Rose managed to flee the motel, at 553 Queenston Rd., on foot and made it a couple of hundred metres east before collapsing on the sidewalk, police said.
A witness saw the man in distress and called 911 around 9:46 a.m., said Det. Daryl Reid, of the major crime unit, case manager for the homicide investigation, when speaking to reporters Sunday evening.
When police arrived, La Rose was on the sidewalk in front of an apartment building at 575 Queenston Rd., near Nash Road. He was later pronounced dead in hospital.
At the scene Sunday, blood was smeared on a bus shelter and on the ground in front of the apartment building. Police placed multiple yellow evidence tags marking debris and blood on the sidewalk and leading to the motel room. A large stretch of the road was closed as police were on scene.
In their update Monday, police said La Rose was visiting the motel when an unidentified suspect attended the unit and engaged in a physical altercation with him." There were more than two people involved in an altercation inside the unit when the stabbing happened, according to Reid.
La Rose was stabbed during the fight, and both he and the suspect fled the motel, police said. Police have not provided details on why La Rose was at the motel or whether a weapon has been recovered.
Investigators do believe the attack was targeted, according to the release.
Police are combing through surveillance video from the area to identify suspects believed to be involved in the altercation. The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Andrew Coughlan by calling 905-546-3874.
To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-8477 or submit anonymous at crimestoppershamilton.com.
More to come ...
Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com