Brampton man accused of killing sons appears in court
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A Brampton man accused of murdering his two young sons made a brief and stone-faced video appearance in court on Thursday.
Edwin Bastidas, 52, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder of the deaths of his sons Jonathan, 12, and Nicolas, 9.
The boys were discovered dead by their mother, Sylvana Ruggiero, in their Brampton home on Nov. 6.
Autopsy results haven’t been released, but sources say the boys were suffocated.
A dishevelled-looking Bastidas looked at the ground during his appearance and only spoke his name when asked by the court.
His lawyer, Michael Kohl, wouldn’t discuss the case.
“This will go on for a while,” he said.
On Wednesday evening, a vigil was held outside the boys’ Hiberton Cres. home near Creditview and Sandalwood, attended by more than 100 people.
Andrea, who lived next door and watched the boys grow up said it was “heartwarming” so many came out.
“It’s been really tough, but it was beautiful that so many children from the (boy’s) school showed up. There just aren’t words to explain this,” Andrea said.
She said she hasn’t seen her friend Ruggiero since the tragedy and doesn’t believe she has returned to the family home, or will ever be able to do so.
Bastidas will next appear in Brampton court on Nov. 21.
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