Woman stabbed to death in Ottawa park was ‘very sweet’, friend says

An Ottawa mother of four is being remembered as a sweet, caring person whose violent death left the local community in shock and mourning.

Brkti Berhe, 36 years old, attacked around 11:30 a.m. Thursday near the intersection of Uplands and Paul Anka streets, according to Ottawa police, south of downtown and near the international airport.

During a police news conference Friday, Deputy Chief Trish Ferguson confirmed that Berhe’s two children were with her at Paul Landry Park when she was stabbed to death.

A 36-year-old resident of Montreal, Fsha Tehle, was charged with first-degree murder. Police called the killing a femicide.

According to close family friend Helen Kibade, Berhe knew Tehle because her aunt had recently broken up with him.

WATCH | A man has been charged after a woman was stabbed to death in front of her children in Ottawa:

1st degree charges after Ottawa woman stabbed in front of her children

Montreal resident Fsha Tehle has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Brcti Berhe of Ottawa, who was stabbed multiple times in front of her children in a city park. Ottawa police are calling the killing a femicide, meaning the killing of a woman or girl because of their gender.

Community members and sources have confirmed that the images on the Facebook account are of Tehle. The account seen by CBC/Radio-Canada reporters uses a different name.

Minutes after Thursday’s killing, the account posted a single word in Amharic, an Ethiopian Semitic language. Translated into English, this word means “done”.

The message was timed at 11:40 a.m., about 10 minutes after Berhe’s murder.

The Facebook account became unavailable Friday morning before Tehle’s first court appearance on a charge of first-degree murder. According to Facebook, content can become unavailable if someone changes who can view it or deletes it.

The CBC was unable to verify whether Tehle owned or operated the Facebook account, whether he himself wrote or posted the Thursday morning post, or whether he had anything to do with the account’s disappearance.

A woman is smiling on a selfie. — According to one of Berhe’s close friends, Berhe knew the man who attacked her because her aunt had recently broken up with him. (Facebook)

Kibade said she and Berhe often played with their children in the park where her friend was attacked.

“She is a very sweet girl. It broke my heart. This is very, very sad. I don’t understand,” Kibade said, adding that Berhe had a “very good life (and) marriage”.

Tanya Pomerantz lives nearby and spoke to the CBC when she visited the growing memorial in the park to lay flowers.

“I saw parents and children playing and having fun here. I could probably see her and her kids just the way we walk,” Pomerantz said.

“Now this place has such a sad and gloomy look. It hurts my heart.”

The flowers lie on the rock. A children's play structure can be seen in the background. — Flowers are laid in memory of Bere along the rock in Paul Landry Park on Friday. (Robin Miller/CBC)

“Simply Terrible”

Trauma professionals were dispatched to a nearby community center Friday afternoon, according to a social media post by River Ward Coun. Riley Brockington, who represents the district.

“I am very saddened to learn about yesterday’s terrible and tragic event. The children lost their mother brutally murdered in broad daylight in a well-used park that many, many of our local families use and enjoy,” Brockington said. in a Friday interview with Radio-Canada.

“This is just terrible news. All murders are unnecessary in this city, but yesterday’s was particularly brutal and difficult for society to understand and accept. And now many people are suffering.”

Brockington said he hopes to hold a community event next week, Oct. 29.