Women killed in North York stabbing identified; suspect was family member, police say

Police have identified two women fatally stabbed in North York on Friday afternoon, alleging the man who killed them was a family member.

Elvie Sig-Od, 44, and Angelica Sig-Od, 20, both from Toronto, were killed inside a vehicle near  Bathurst Street and Ellerslie Avenue after what police say was an "obvious struggle."

A 46-year-old man, Godfrey Sig-Od, is now facing second-degree murder charges. He appeared in court on Saturday.

Police say all three were injured in the incident, but it was the two women who died at the scene. 

Harmy Mendoza, executive director of Woman Abuse Council of Toronto, told CBC News she was saddened but not surprised to hear the alleged perpetrator was a family member, saying femicides are often carried out by former or existing intimate partners or family members.

"I would call it a crisis," she said. "Not only do we need to be concerned, we need to be doing something about it."

Ontario sees an average of three femicides per month, Mendoza says.

In 2020 there were 36 femicides in the province, she said. In 2021, that number jumped to 54. 

There have been more than 27 femicides reported in Ontario since November 2021, Mendoza says. In 12 of those cases, the perpetrator was an intimate partner and in five, it was a family member, she said.

'She had an effect on everyone she met'

Daniel Levy was a close friend of Angelica's and said he was filled with "emptiness, sadness and anger" upon hearing of her death.

Levy first met Angelica in 2016 after she'd been brought in to help out at a bakery at the summer camp where his father, a caterer, worked in Gravenhurst, Ont.

The two became fast friends, spending time together after work, watching the sunset, laughing and lifting each other up during hard times, he said.

"Very caring, loving, and supportive" are the words that comes to mind when he recalls Angelica.

"She had an effect on everyone she met," he said.

Angelica looked up to her mother a lot, Levy recalled. He'd met Elvie only a few times, but remembers her as "very sweet."

Fundraiser launched to send bodies to Philippines 

Seneca College, where Angelica was a student, released a statement shortly after she was identified as one of the two victims.

"The Seneca community is deeply saddened by the sudden death of student Angelica Sid-Od," the statement read.

"Our thoughts are with Ms. Sig-Od's loved ones, friends and Seneca classmates and professors. Counselling and support services are available to the Seneca community."

A GoFundMe page, started by Pastor Marvin Dolores, is raising funds for the funeral and to send the victims' bodies back to the Philippines.

"They do not have relatives here in Ontario to arrange their funeral, so as their pastor, I decided to ask for your help to raise funds," Dolores wrote on the page.

Meanwhile, Mendoza says femicide is preventable and there are often signs and red flags. But in many cases, people may not know how to help.

She suggests seeking out expert help to support a friend or family member in trouble.

In Toronto, crisis support can be accessed by calling the Assaulted Women's Helpline at 1-877-945-4478.