Neighbours of a Campbell River father who was arrested Wednesday morning say they saw him making peace signs and dancing strangely outdoors in the days before his seven-year-old son died of undisclosed injuries.
Mounties were called to a home on Alder Street at 2:30 a.m. to find the boy in medical distress suffering from serious injuries. He died later Wednesday morning in hospital.
The father was taken into custody for questioning but no charges have been laid. Police say the investigation is ongoing.
Neighbour David Tayler told CTV News he just saw the deceased riding his bike in the neighbourhood Tuesday evening while his father sat on the back of his car "just kind of dancing around."
"He was just kind of flailing his arms around and clapping his hands, almost like an infant. It was weird," Tayler said.
The home was cordoned off with police tape Wednesday as investigators and a police dog searched for evidence. Drips of blood could be seen on the front door.
The family has lived in the home for five years without any problems, and neighbour Carole Scott said the father appeared to love his son very much. "He hugs him all the time," she said. "It was a shock to hear [of his arrest]."
Al Scott said he's also seen the man sitting on a bench recently making peace signs towards other neighbours. "I wanted to know what he was on and what he was doing," laughed Scott, who added that he appeared friendly.
Police aren't saying whether they've been called to the home in the past.
They also have yet to confirm how the boy was injured or whether his mother was home.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Lisa Rossington
