Mother of 17-year-old killed on Surrey, B.C., bus tracked his phone to hospital
Holly Indridson planned to pick up her son and drive him home, using GPS to keep tabs on his commute
Holly Indridson says her son Ethan Bespflug was taking a bus to Surrey, B.C., Tuesday night — southeast of Vancouver — and she planned to pick him up and drive him home. She used GPS to keep tabs on his progress.
She realized something was wrong when she tracked Bespflug's phone to Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster, across the Fraser River from Surrey.
"I got in my car and a rushed over to the hospital searching for him," Indridson said.
She soon learned her 17-year-old son, whom she describes as a "perfect kid," was fatally stabbed on the bus.
"I literally was outside my body," an emotional Indridson said Thursday.
"I just wanted my life to end. I think I would have traded mine. I don't understand why it had to be him. Why him?"
RCMP have said the stabbing happened just before 9:30 p.m. Tuesday on a bus in Surrey, not far from the King George SkyTrain station.
Police patrols are being stepped up while investigators have identified a suspect, but no arrests have been made.
The fatal stabbing was the second this month on a bus in the city, southeast of Vancouver.
The first victim, whose throat was slashed on April 1, is now recovering at home. A man has been charged with terrorism offences in that case, and police have said the attacks were unrelated.
'It just doesn't make any sense': mom
Family say Bespflug was hard-working, a good student, and a loving older brother.
"It just doesn't make any sense," Indridson said of her son's death.
Stepfather Mike Gallacher says the family, including his four younger siblings, are trying to figure out how to move on.
"We've just got to remind them that they had a big brother with a heart of gold," he said.
They are calling for change. Bespflug's aunt, Andrea Van Der Gracht, is calling for security staff on board buses.
"As a community, we need to be together,'' Van Der Gracht said.
"We need to keep each other safe. Maybe we need more mental health support, more community outreach programs for teens and youth.''
Premier David Eby said Thursday that police have stepped up their patrols on buses and trains after Bespflug's death, calling it every parent's nightmare.
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth is reaching out to transit authorities and police to see if more resources are needed to ensure safety, Eby said.
With files from Susana da Silva and The Canadian Press