Brampton ,A 31-year-old Mississauga man has been charged with second-degree murder after his girlfriend was found dead inside a car on Melanie Drive in Brampton on Saturday.
According to police, 29-year-old Shariyfa Birkett was located inside a car parked in an auto repair garage at around 4 p.m. Saturday.
Police say they believe the car, a white 2008 Mercedes C230, was towed to the auto repair garage after being involved in a minor collision that caused damage to the driver’s side, including a flat tire.
The death was originally classified as suspicious, however on Sunday morning Peel police said that it was in fact a homicide, the region’s first of 2015.
Peel Regional Police say they believe the victim and the suspect were at a Niagara Falls motel on Friday night and are appealing to witnesses to come forward.
A cause of death has not been released, though an autopsy is planned for later today.
Amit Kalia, 31, appeared at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton on Sunday.