British Columbia

2 arrested in relation to death of Kelowna teen, RCMP say

Kelowna RCMP say they have arrested two people in relation to the death of 15-year-old Tristan Seeger last weekend.

Kelowna RCMP investigating death of Tristan Seeger, 15, as homicide

A teenage boy with a baseball cap smiles while sitting down.
Two people have been arrested after Tristan Seeger, 15, succumbed to his injuries following a collision with a vehicle on Saturday, according to Mounties and his family. (Paule Seeger/Facebook)

Kelowna RCMP say they have arrested two people in relation to the death of 15-year-old Tristan Seeger last weekend.

The homicide investigation is ongoing, police said Wednesday, and both individuals have been released from custody while RCMP prepare their submissions to Crown counsel.

"Investigators with our Serious Crime Unit and Forensic Identification Section are still collecting and processing vital pieces of evidence" said Cpl. Michael Gauthier in a media release. 

"This is a sensitive homicide investigation. These investigations are lengthy and it is imperative they are done thoroughly."

Kelowna RCMP did not identify or share the ages or genders of the two individuals arrested.

In a Thursday emailed statement, a spokesperson for the B.C. Prosecution Service said the service had no information to share on the incident and directed questions back to the RCMP.

Seeger was struck by a vehicle near the city's Ben Lee Park on Oct. 21, and succumbed to his injuries in the hospital the next day, according to police and his family.

Police said on Monday they were investigating Seeger's death as a homicide and it appeared to be related to another incident of a group of teens using bear spray nearby, but did not elaborate on how the two events were connected.

"Details of the evidence will not be shared publicly to protect the integrity of the investigation," RCMP said in a Wednesday statement. "Additional information will be released when it becomes both available and appropriate."

Seeger's friends and family identified him as the victim of the collision, and told CBC News the teen had wanted to become a lawyer.

Teddy bears, a balloon and various bottles litter a park bench.
A bench at Ben Lee Park was turned into a memorial for teenager Tristan Seeger, who was killed after he was hit by a vehicle on Oct. 21. (Jay Bertagnolli/CBC)

"I'm not going to pussyfoot around it. My child was murdered. Someone murdered my child," Paule Seeger, Tristan's mother, told Sarah Penton, host of CBC's Radio West, on Monday. "And I have yet to understand what on Earth justifies that."

Paule says she has no idea how exactly her son was involved with the bear spray incident described by police.

RCMP are asking anyone with information, including video evidence, to contact the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300 or anonymously with Central Okanagan Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.crimestoppers.net