VANCOUVER -- A man has been charged with three counts of second-degree murder following a June house fire where multiple bodies were found.
Twenty-four-year-old Kia Ebrahimian was charged on July 10th in connection to three deaths on Friday, Sgt. Frank Jang of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, said Monday.
Jang said one of the victims, 50-year-old Tatiana Bazyar, was the accused's mother. Another victim, 23-year-old Medea "Befrin" Ebrahimian, was his sibling.
Homicide investigators believe the accused's mother and the third victim, 46-year-old Francesco Zangrilli, were in a common-law relationship. All four were living in the same rented home on Wakefield Drive.
"There really is no other word than tragic to describe what happened inside that Langley home on June 13th,” Jang said, and confirmed Kia Ebrahimian was the person who got out of the house unharmed on the day of the fire.
Fabrizio Zenone, a longtime friend of Zangrilli, remembered him as a great guy, hard-working, and quick to help a friend.
Zenone said the Rogers Sugar employee loved food and wine, and Bazyar loved to cook. She is described as generous and loving, filled with positivity, and someone who liked to make things beautiful.
Zenone told CTV Zangrilli first came to work at his father’s restaurant in New Westminster after moving back to Canada from Italy, and then rented a suite in their home for years before he met Bazyar. He said he was easy to get along with, avoided confrontation, and enjoyed the lavish lunches Bazyar used to prepare for his work day. He said Zangrilli also worked as a handyman, and was known for going above and beyond when he helped someone.
Outside the burned remains of the home, a memorial to the three victims lined a section of temporary fencing. A Rogers Sugar hat, and a work shirt with "Francesco" embroidered on the front, hung alongside bouquets of flowers. A photo of Zangrilli, surrounded by a floral wreath, stood on the sidewalk, where a photo of Bazyar holding a baby could also be seen.
Along the ground lay candles and handwritten notes, one reading in part: "Tatiana was selfless, beautiful, intelligent, and caring. She made every person’s day better who stepped into the office where she worked, and she actively learned about their families and loved ones...if you were fortunate to have entered her orbit, she would have shone her light onto you, too."
Police are not commenting on a motive for the homicides or the cause of death.
CTV News has learned police attended the home sometime in the weeks before the fire, responding to a call about a verbal argument, which was resolved.
Ebrahimian will appear in court on July 20.
